Serial burglar who used trains to raid homes across Surrey and Sussex jailed
Offender travelled between towns by rail to target empty properties
A 44-year-old man who repeatedly travelled across Surrey and Sussex by train to carry out a string of burglaries has been jailed for six years after being linked to multiple offences over a seven-month period.
Darren Alleyne used the rail network to move between towns including Woking, Guildford, Horsham, Reigate and Merstham. Once in an area, he would search for properties that appeared unoccupied or were not properly secured, then force entry through doors at the front or rear of homes.
Inside, he stole valuable items such as jewellery and electronic devices, placing them into a large shopping bag before leaving the area and boarding a train to avoid immediate detection. The stolen property was later sold on for cash.
Investigators said Alleyne attempted to stay ahead of police by frequently changing his mobile phone and moving between different locations.
He was identified through extensive CCTV and video doorbell footage collected from affected properties.
Police eventually located him in Brighton, where he had travelled by train. At the time of his arrest, he was already suspected of committing further burglaries in the city, and officers also recovered stolen items in his possession linked to local victims.
Alleyne was formally charged on 25 March with ten counts of burglary and two counts of fraud by false representation. He later admitted all charges. On 15 May, at Guildford Crown Court, he was sentenced to six years in prison.
PC Luke Lightburn, from the Surrey Police Proactive Investigation Team, said: “Alleyne literally treated burglary as his job. He would commute regularly by train, find a place to break into, and brazenly travel home with a bag of stolen goods as if nothing had happened.
“Due to the manner of his offending, it took some time to track Alleyne down and pull together all the evidence we needed. I am pleased that, following months of determination and teamwork, we were able to hunt him down and get him behind bars.”