A TEENAGE burglary gang used social networking site Facebook to boast about how they were breaking into homes, police revealed.

On Monday, Salim Miah, 17, Joe Parry, 17, Zishan Ali, 18, and two other teenage boys, aged 17 and 15, who cannot be named, were sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court after admitting a series of burglary offences between March 2009 and June 2010.

Miah, already a serving prisoner, was given a 12-month detention and training order and Parry, also a serving prisoner, was given a 18-month detention and training order.

Ali, of Liverpool Street, Newport, the 15-year-old boy, and the 17-year-old boy, were given two-year youth rehabilitation orders, with curfews and ordered to engage with the Gwent Intensive Supervision and Surveillance Programme.

The five teens were arrested in June last year, following early morning raids in Newport as part of Operation Conifer.

Detective Sergeant Matt Sedgebeer, who led the investigation, along with Detective Inspector Chris Watts, said the team was set up in response to a “disproportionate number of burglaries” in the Maindee area.

DS Sedgebeer said investigations linked the five teens with a larger gang, then linked to a page on social networking site, Facebook, which included a forum entitled 'Smash ND Grab.'

One of the topics of discussion said: "Wot is da best way 2 merk off da window. 1: wiv a zinc 2: wiv ure elbow 3: bootin it thru 4: wiv a baseball bat 5: makin sum useless ****** do it 4 u nd den giv dem no cut of da money. Plz answer ND leave comments."

The page was removed after it was reported to Facebook.

A Facebook spokesman said the site operates a "robust reporting infrastructure that uses the site’s 500 million users to keep an eye out for offensive content or illegal activity" and any content contravening terms of use when it is reported.

DS Sedgebeer said his team received positive feedback from members of the community who were affected by the burglaries.

He said: “These convictions demonstrate Gwent Police’s commitment to tackling these offences. Burglary is a heinous crime, which can have a devastating impact. Those responsible should be in no doubt of our resolve to arrest them and bring them to justice.”

As part of Operation Conifer, the team introduced a traffic-light system for suspected offenders, categorising them as low, medium or high priority.

The team then works closely with probation and the youth offending team to ensure burglars are educated about leading a crime-free lifestyle when they are released from prison.