Three teenage burglars have been jailed after they were caught undressed and pretending to be asleep when officers caught up with them.

Bedfordshire Police attended a home in Leighton Buzzard after receiving reports that four teens were behaving suspiciously on 15 June.

When officers gained access to the house they found Mark Boyce, Patrick Casey, Seth Lee and a 16-year-old boy pretending to be asleep alongside a large amount of stolen jewellery.

Although they were found sharing two beds, they denied knowing each other or having any involvement in the burglary.

Lee, 19, was sentenced to three years and four months in prison at Luton Crown Court.


Casey, 19, was handed a two-year jail term, while Boyce, also 19, was sentenced to one year and 10 months.

Boyce received a shorter sentence because he decided to return a watch stolen in the burglary and brought it to the court.

The 16-year-old, who has not been named, will be sentenced at a later date.

Detective Constable Andrew Boston said: "This was one of the more unusual cover stories for a group of burglars that I've encountered, but unfortunately for them our officers didn't buy it.

"The property recovered in the bedrooms where we found the offenders was identified as having been stolen from another house in the nearby neighbourhood.

"This allowed us to build a strong case against the offenders, who brazenly attempted to deny their involvement in this burglary.

"Hopefully this will serve as a warning to others who think they are above the law - we are committed to catching anyone who looks to profit from other people's misery."