A gang of car thieves from Wiltshire who carried out more than 600 raids on cars parked in beauty spots have been jailed for a total of seven years.

The prolific gang of two brothers, two sisters from Salisbury and one other stole tens of thousands of pounds worth of goods from cars over a two year period.

They were only caught after a massive operation involving six police forces, believed to be one of the largest of its kind for this offence in British criminal history.

The gang were David Wells and Victoria Cooper, of Orcheston, Gary Wells, of Maryland Close, and Valerie Cooper, of Randallscroft Road, along with Michael Stafford.

They struck at locations at Alfred's Tower, Warminster, Rockley Downs, near Marlborough, the Caen Hill Locks car park, Devizes, Silbury Hill, Avebury and Nether Wallop.

The gang also targeted Butts Hill, Salisbury, Bratton, near Westbury, Brookdale, near Salisbury, Middle Woodford, near Amesbury, East Knoyle, Stonehenge and Coombe Bissett. They also broke into cars in Surrey, Hampshire, Dorset, Somerset and Devon.

On some occasions they posed as birdwatchers so not to arouse suspicion. But after watching their victims leave their vehicles they would then smash the windows and grab what they could from the cars.

Two of the gang were caught after an alert nature lover became suspicious when the "birdwatchers" started looking in the wrong direction for wildlife at one beauty spot.

The three others were eventually arrested in January this year after police launched an undercover surveillance operation.

The most prolific offender, David Wells, 27, was jailed for four-and-a-half years. Partners in crime Victoria Cooper, 31, and Michael Stafford, 32, were both given 15 months in prison.

Gary Wells, 22, and Valerie Cooper, 42, walked free from court with community punishment orders.

They pleaded guilty to 33 theft offences but police said this was the tip of the iceberg and they believe the gang was responsible for hundreds of other crimes.

Bournemouth Crown Court heard how their two year crime spree began in January 2001.

Wells, Cooper and Michael Stafford, from Ferndown, Dorset, pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to steal from cars relating to 33 offences.

Cooper also admitted perverting the course of justice, harbouring an escaped prisoner and attempting to obtain property by deception.

Gary Wells and Valerie Cooper pleaded guilty to two counts of theft.