A MAN who stole over £25,000 worth of cars from his friend’s parents while they were on holiday was jailed on Friday.

Jason Richards, of Sudbury Walk, Newport, stayed at the Machen home in February.

The 36-year-old stole a BMW car, which the owner values at £20,000, and a Ford Fiesta - owned by his friend's mother - valued at £6,000, from their Church Street home.

On the parents returning home on February 19, Newport Crown Court heard they found the cars had gone and the key to the BMW and the spare key for the Ford had also been taken.

On the same day, police officers in Hertfordshire seized the BMW , which displayed number plates which had been taken from another car. The Ford Fiesta is still yet to be recovered.

Richards pleaded guilty to two counts of theft – but another one relating to him stealing number plates, which Richards denied, was ordered to lie on his file.

Judge Daniel Williams sentenced Richards to eight months in prison and gave him a further two month jail term, to be served concurrently. That was handed down because he had committed the offence while observing a community order for stealing goods from supermarkets.