A 21-YEAR-OLD man has been sentenced to seven years in prison for a string of robberies and burlgaries dating back to January 2006.

Ronnie Ray Byrom, of Durham Drive, Oswaldtwistle, was part of a team of five who committed a series of offences across Bolton, Bury and Lancashire.

The team made up of Marios Baama, 28, Lewis Edward Chorlton, 19, Ashley James Paul Derbyshire, 21, Jenna Holbrook, 23, all of Bolton and Byrom were sentenced to a total of 31 years in prison at Bolton Crown Court.

Byrom pleaded guilty to robbery, attempted robbery, aggravated burglary, two counts of theft, burglary and three counts of handling stolen goods.

He had committed a string of offences including the theft of a watch which was found on internet auction site, eBay.

Byrom was tracked down by police after a burglary in Whalley on January 30 where a Blanc Pain watch made in France in 1964 was stolen.

Police received information that the watch, which was of great sentimental value to its owner, was being sold on the internet auction site.

Officers carried out a search at the seller's address in Bolton in February.

The watch was found and returned to the owner and the seller was arrested and charged with handling stolen goods.

Following the seller's court case, he told police that Byrom had called at his house and asked him to sell the watch and split the proceeds.

Byrom also had two rings stolen from a house in Ridgeways in Haslingden, in his possession.

Police also recovered four rings that had been stolen from a house on Laneside Road in Haslingden and Byrom was involved in a burglary in Brockhall Village, Ribble Valley and a robbery in Bury.

Police targeted the group as part of Operation Litmus which was set up to trace and arrest those involved in the crimes.

Inspector Andy Greenhalgh said: "In summer 2006, Chorlton, Derbyshire, Byrom and Baama were arrested and interviewed in connection with a large number of offences and despite being released on bail, they still went ahead and committed further crimes."