A pair of burglars who targeted homes, hotels and businesses have been jailed for a combined 73 months.

Atiq Maclaian was sentenced to five and a half years after stealing £5,000 worth of valuables from guests staying in hotels, hostels and guesthouses across Camden, including addresses in Highgate and Hampstead, police said.

The 47-year-old, of no fixed address, was also banned from entering any hotel, guesthouse or hostel in England and Wales for seven years following his trial at Blackfriars Crown Court on January 15.

“Prolific” burglar Fabian Simpson had only been out of jail a few days after serving time for a string of offences across Camden and Islington before he went on to target a business in Kings Cross he had already burgled last summer, police said.

He was sent back to jail for 32 weeks after police caught him in the act attempting to burgle another property.

Inspector Paul Clarke, from the central north command unit, said: “These convictions show the good work of our investigation team.

“The ability of a prolific burglar, Simpson, to commit further offences has been restricted,” he added.

News of the convictions came in a week in which officers warned households in a newsletter from the Highgate safer neighbourhood police team to be on the alert over burglaries. Police describe a series of burglaries, including one at an address in Hornsey Lane Gardens, Highgate.

The suspect forced entry by smashing a kitchen window before going on to take jewellery, money and bank cards.

And in an attempted burglary last month a man wearing a navy uniform with ‘Council’ embroidered on it pretended to be from a local authority in a failed bid to burgle a property in Hillcrest, Highgate. The suspect spoke little English, was aged from 30 to 35-years-old, of slim build and clean shaven.

A member of the Highgate safer neighbourhood panel, a body set up to shine a light on community police activity, called on neighbours to do all they can to make it look like their homes are not empty when going out. The member, who asked not to be named, called for police to have additional resources.

She said: “The police are doing thorough work, we just wish they had the resources to do more.”