A burglar has been jailed for nearly five years after being snared by one of the Metropolitan Police's elite "super-recogniser" squad.

Lewis Grinham, 21, pleaded guilty to burgling a pawn shop in New Addington and two South Croydon addresses after the eagle-eyed Met officer spied him on CCTV footage.

At a hearing at Croydon Crown Court on Friday, Grinham, of no fixed address, was sentenced to four years and eights months in prison.

The court heard how, at 12.30pm on April 15, Grinham entered the Captain Cash shop in Central Parade, New Addington, where he leaned over the counter and snatched an iPad mini and iPad Air 2.

Not satisfied with the £430 loot, days later Grinham broke into a flat in Normanton Road, South Croydon, and stole £2,000 worth of personal items including a television, games console, jewellery and car keys.

On the morning of April 26, Grinham broke into the rear garden of an address in Carlton Avenue and smashed the rear patio door window to gain entry, disturbing the owner of the property.

The thief left empty-handed.

Grinham was arrested in May after a Croydon-based member of the Met's "super-recogniser" unit - made up of officers with an uncanny ability for remembering faces - spotted him on CCTV footage from Central Parade.

He was charged in July.

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