A serial pub burglar was ambushed and arrested by police as he went to pick up his medication at a pharmacy.

John Delaney, 51, has been jailed for two years and three months after committing a string of burglaries in and around Islington.

The convict, of no fixed address, targeted pubs and shops in the area starting in February last year.

He was eventually identified as a suspect through DNA evidence and CCTV footage from Crouch End and Archway.

Last July, unmarked cars and plain clothes police officers swooped on the 51-year-old close to a pharmacy in Finsbury Park where he was picking up his medication.

He was sentenced for the burglaries at Snaresbrook Crown Court in December. 

It comes as part of a wider police operation tackling burglaries across the capital, after success in monitoring repeat offenders in Bromley.

Police say they made more than 100 arrests in just 60 days, using techniques such as phone tracking and covert surveillance.

Sgt John Johnson, who leads the local burglary team, said: “My team have listened to the concerns of our community and made it a priority to address the issue of burglary head on.

“Everyone in London has the right to feel safe, especially in their own homes. And I’m pleased that our use of innovative tactics has had such a positive impact in delivering for people across the city.”