"PROFESSIONAL" burglars from Liverpool targeted Chinese restaurants after coming to Bournemouth for a car festival.

Tony Jones and Francis Overend - both currently serving prison sentences - and Anthony Randles, who was recently released from custody, stole cash and jewellery during raids on two consecutive days.

They later told police they were visiting Bournemouth for the Wheels Festival.

However, detectives launched an investigation, triangulating the defendants' mobile phones and scouring ANPR footage.

As a result, the trio were initially charged with conspiring to burgle restaurants including the Sunflower Chinese Takeaway, Chok Dee and New Harmony.

Prosecutors eventually accepted guilty pleas from each to two counts of burglary committed at 747 Christchurch Road, Boscombe, and 1409a Wimborne Road, Northbourne, on May 30 and 31 2015.

On Friday afternoon, the three appeared at Bournemouth Crown Court for sentence.

Rob Welling, prosecuting, said properties above the restaurants were raided.

"The defendants resorted to a familiar and tried method of burglary, targeting two Chinese restaurants," Mr Welling said.

"This was a particular favourite method of theirs.

"One assumes they were targeted because [the defendants] expected there to be cash or a considerable quantity of jewellery inside."

Jones and Overend are both serving significant sentences at HMP Wymott in Lancashire. In June 2016, Overend was convicted of attacking a policeman with a crowbar after he admitted the assault in a whisper while giving evidence in court.

The defendant, now 49, smashed the crowbar over PC Alex Healy’s head, leaving him covered in blood, during a burglary in Coventry.

As reported by the Liverpool Echo, during a trial at Warwick Crown Court, Overend said:“When I saw the figure come round, because he was all in black I didn’t know he was a police officer until he was a couple of feet away, and I started walking with my hands up.”

Then, dropping his voice so he could hardly be heard, he added: "And that’s when I hit him.”

Jurors then convicted him of wounding PC Healy with intent to evade arrest or to cause him grievous bodily harm.

The defendant had previously admitted attempted burglary.

At the time of the break-in on January 12 2016, Overend was out of jail on licence from a life sentence imposed in 2002 for taking two police officers prisoner at gunpoint.

Jones is serving a six-year sentence after being convicted at Chester Crown Court in January last year of burglary.

Judge Brian Forster QC sentenced both Overend and Jones to three years in prison, concurrent to their existing sentences.

Randles, of Birch Tree Road in Liverpool, was sentenced to 18 months in prison, suspended for 18 months. He was also ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work in the community.