A BURGLARY gang who broke into small garages at night causing an "orgy of mindless criminal damage" have been locked up for more than eight years.

Aaron Morris, 23, Daniel Stephens, 20, and Ross Black, 21, concealed their faces with hoodies and balaclavas before smashing their way into the premises with a crowbar, a court heard on Thursday.

Whilst inside they looked for cash, wrecked computers and CCTV systems, doused desks with fire extinguishers, smashed windscreens and stamped on cars, Cardiff Crown Court was told.

Their campaign of burglary netted them up to £2,000 in cash but they caused an estimated £20,000 of damage to 12 businesses in Gwent and surrounding areas, prosecutor Laurence Jones told the court.

Stephens, of Lower Hill Street, Blaenavon, was given for three years and four months in custody.

He admitted responsibility for 12 overnight burglaries.

Morris, of Archer Street, Ynysybwl, Pontypridd, was locked up for three years and three months.

He admitted responsibility for eight break-ins.

Black, of Lower Ty Gwyn Road, Garndiffaith, Pontypool, was given two years after he admitted taking part in four burglaries.

Judge Stephen Hopkins QC described the offences committed between September and October last year as a "campaign of burglary" accompanied by "orgy after orgy of mindless criminal damage".

The thefts were estimated to have netted them between £1,734 and £2,034 but the criminal damage was in the region of £20,000, Mr Jones said.

They were at times unable to gain entry into the premises protected by shutters and in one case they only made off with chocolate bars, the court heard.

Judge Hopkins told them: "They were mainly small businesses who no doubt suffered greatly as a consequence of your criminality."

Targeted premises included Bob Davies car sales in Ebbw Vale, a storage unit on the Rising Sun industrial estate in Blaina, Tredegar Tyres and Desirable Motors in Tredegar.

They were nailed through footprints, partial DNA from gloves used in the break-ins and mobile phone records.

All three pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit burglary.

In mitigation, their defence team said they were relatively young, had committed the burglaries through lack of money and had admitted the offences.

Stephens had criminal convictions for four offences but the other two only had warnings and cautions.

They will have to serve half their terms in custody and time they served under tagged curfews will be deducted for their sentences.