A SERIAL thief from Birkenhead has been jailed after admitting stealing cash and bank cards from vehicles during a series of overnight visits to Ellesmere Port.

Daniel Greatrex pleaded guilty to three counts of stealing from a motor vehicle and four counts of fraud.

The 43-year-old also admitted taking a vehicle without the owner’s consent and driving it without a licence and insurance.

He was sentenced to 12 months in prison at Chester Crown Court on Friday, December 7.

The total of 10 charges relate to five overnight visits to Ellesmere Port – on October 11, 23 and 31, and on November 5 and 7.

On each occasion Greatrex left his home in Parkfield Avenue in Birkenhead to get the last train to Capenhurst Railway Station, arriving after midnight.

He then walked around the estates off the A41 Chester Road in the Great Sutton area stealing anything of value from cars that were not locked.

Greatrex stole clothes as well as cash and bank cards, which he used to make fraudulent transactions totalling around £500 in Birkenhead.

On one occasion he drove a Mercedes car back to his home town having found it unlocked with keys inside.

On all his other overnight visits to Ellesmere Port Greatrex got the first train back to Birkenhead in the morning.

Detectives investigating the incidents identified Greatrex as the offender.

He was arrested arriving at Capenhurst Railway Station after midnight on Friday, November 9, and was subsequently charged with the offences.

Detective Constable Stuart Wood, of the Ellesmere Port Local Policing Unit, said: “Greatrex thought he could act with impunity, arriving at Capenhurst Railway Station on the last train and then stealing items from unlocked cars under the cover of darkness through the night as residents in the Great Sutton area were asleep.

“On one occasion he even took a car, and as well as thefts he made fraudulent transactions using bank cards he had stolen.

“Thanks to the hard work of those investigating the incidents, we were able to identify Greatrex as the offender, arrest him and charge him with 10 offences.

“He pleaded guilty to those offences and we are delighted that he has now been jailed for his offending and hope that the sentence he has been given deters others from committing similar crimes.

“The case highlights the need for us all to ensure that our vehicles are locked at all times and I would like to thank everyone involved in the investigation for their hard work in securing this conviction.”

Greatrex asked for 34 similar offences to be taken into consideration by Chester Crown Court when sentencing him.

On top of the custodial sentence he was given Greatrex was ordered to pay a £140 victim surcharge.