A professional burglar who stole more than £17,000 of equipment from Oxfordshire golf clubs has been jailed for three-and-a-half years.

Michael Harding admitted burgling Frilford Heath Golf Club, near Abingdon, and Hadden Hill Golf Club, near Didcot.

He asked the court to take into consideration a similar offence carried out at another Oxfordshire golf club, which was not named.

Huw Williamsprosecuting, told Oxford Crown Court that Harding stole 24 clubs, worth £299 each, from the Frilford Heath club on June 3 last year.

Two months later Harding, and several accomplices who have not been caught, broke into the Hadden Hill club and stole equipment worth £10,000.

Harding, 34, was caught after police matched DNA found at Frilford Heath with computer records.

Harding had travelled from his home in Prescott, Merseyside, to carry out the burglaries.

Mr Williams said Harding had 31 previous convictions for burglary and theft. His first offence had been committed at the age of 13. He had appeared in courts across England and had served several terms in prison, the longest lasting two years.

In a pre-sentence report, Harding said that he had picked up tips on how to commit burglaries from his father.

He said: "I was told the only rule was that you don't burgle house dwellings and you try to avoid your neighbourhood."

Harding said he carried out the Oxfordshire raids to raise money to look after his children, because their mother had become a heroin addict and was unable to care for them.

His previous burglaries were carried out to feed a gambling addiction.

Judge Jonathan Playford sentenced him to three-and-a-half years in jail for each offence, to run concurrently.

He said: "These are very serious matters and you are receiving a much lengthier sentence than you have received in the past."