POLICE launched a huge investigation, involving more than 100 officers, to track down the gang.

Kevin Owen, Andrew Havinga, Dean Higham and John Beesley targeted their victims throughout Southampton and Eastleigh.

They left a trail of devastation behind them but thanks to detective work, DNA evidence, and members of the public giving tip-offs, they were brought to justice.

Following yesterday's sentencing, senior investigation officer Detective Sergeant Damon Kennard said: "This was a complex investigation, tracking four men wreaking havoc across Southampton and Eastleigh, not only damaging property and stealing from businesses but also threatening and assaulting people at their place of work for their own selfish greed.

"The men only managed to steal a couple of hundred pounds each time, and sometimes leaving with nothing, but they used a high level intimidation and violence to get it through these conceited, vicious robberies and crude burglaries.

"Owen and Havinga started the spree working together to burgle local shops and then rob businesses, brandishing themselves with planks of wood, bottles and hammers.

"Higham and Beesley worked together to rob a hair salon and a customer therein. Beesley later used the customer’s bank card and then went onto rob the Premier Store on Addis Square.

"Higham and Owen used hammers to assault staff at the petrol station at Rownhams before stealing the contents of the till and cigarettes.

"At one point, Havinga and Owen committed eight offences in four days, sometimes together, sometimes apart.

"These men have admitted to offences alone and together. We were able to link and identify them through hours of CCTV and forensic analysis.

"Such was the evidence against them, they pleaded guilty to a range of burglaries, robberies and frauds between November 16 and December 4 2017.

"I’d like to thank the public and the media for their support when we appealed for the whereabouts of Owen and Havinga and I’d like to thank those victims and witnesses who submitted personal statements to support the court process in order to bring these violent offenders to justice.

"We are committed to protecting businesses and their staff throughout Hampshire. Hampshire Constabulary set up the Safer Hampshire Business Partnership which is a group made up of police, the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC), crime reduction managers in Portsmouth and Southampton, National Business Crime Centre, Chamber of Commerce, Co-op and Sainsbury’s.

"The partnership meets quarterly to share messages relating to crime reduction and security affecting the business community in Hampshire.

"The partnership is keen to develop a network of businesses of all sizes and has recently launched a LinkedIn page to further share information as widely as possible.

"We’re safer when we work together."