Men arrested after a break-in in Wheathampstead have been jailed for more than six years for a seven-month crime spree in Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire.

St Albans Crown Court was told the offences began in June of last year when Polish builder Radek Kemersky, 32, and his friend Lewis Stansfield, 20, were involved in an attack on a 51-year-old man in Chapel Street, Luton.

CCTV footage captured the moment when, for no reason, Kamersky, from Hitchin Road in Luton, launched into a vicious attack on the complete stranger - punching and kicking him in the face and head and even drop kicking him when he tried to get up.

Stansfield, from Hanswick Close in Luton, then handed the Pole a can of CS spray which was squirted into the face of the man.

In October of last year a third associate of the pair, Jessey Hughes, 20, was found at his caravan home in Thomas Road, Stopsley, with a haul of stolen property taken during a burglary at a house in Hexton - including the family's pet dog and their ferrets.

Miss Jennifer Dannhauser, prosecuting, said next Stansfield broke into a game keeper's cottage in Kings Walden on the Herts Beds border and stole firearms from a locked steel cabinet that he gemmied open. The weapons have never been recovered.

Finally on January 26 this year Hughes and Stansfield together took part in a day time break-in at a house in Wheathamstead.

They got in through the rear of the property and once inside stole a single £20 note.

Outside on the drive they smashed the window of a parked car to look inside, but by now neighbours had alerted the police and the pair were soon arrested.

In court Kamerski, pleaded guilty to common assault on the man in Chapel Street and possessing a prohibited weapon. Stansfield admitted possessing a prohibited weapon.

Hughes pleaded guilty to handling stolen property from the burglary in Hexton and Stansfield admitted burgling the game keeper's cottage and stealing the firearms.

Finally Hughes and Stansfield pleaded guilty to the Wheathamstead burglary.

Judge John Plumstead jailed Kamersky for 16 months, telling him what he'd done was "mean, cruel and vicious."

Hughes was jailed for 27 months after the judge told him that the pet owners had been left heart broken when their dog was taken.

Stansfield was given a three year sentence after the judge told him he had deliberately targeted the weapons at the game keeper's cottage which were now in the criminal underworld.