A gang who went on a £120,000 burglary spree has been jailed for a total of 19 years.

They struck 10 times – including five homes in Macclesfield and a pub in Poynton, where they attacked a female member of staff.

Their haul included cash and Rolex watches. They were caught after a police operation.

Christopher Kelly, 34, Peter James Edge, 28, and Gareth Winfield, 34, are behind bars after being jailed for 10, five and four-and-a-half years respectively.

Between June and December, 2011, the criminal group had been travelling from Manchester, deliberately seeking out homes in semi-rural affluent areas of Macclesfield, Holmes Chapel and Knutsford.

Their reign of misery in Macclesfield began on July 13 when they burgled a house on Whitecroft Heath Road in Lower Withington.

A week later on July 20 they struck at a house on Dark Lane in Gawsworth. Kelly, Edge and Winfield targeted the Vernon Arms on London Road South in Poynton on September 4 as it was closing. Two women who worked there were threatened.

One of them was punched twice during the ordeal.

The gang continued to target other areas of east Cheshire returning to Macclesfield on September 26 to burgle a house in Henbury.

Their spree included a house on Hocker Lane, Over Alderley, on October 26, and Withinlee Road, Mottram St Andrew on December 20. As a pattern emerged, Cheshire Police launched Operation Kingfisher.

The investigation team pieced together the circumstances of the conspiracy and linked a number of crimes to the group by the  examination of multiple strands of evidence including the group’s access to and use of vehicles, as well as witness and forensic evidence.

Kelly, 34, of The Winnows, Denton, admitted his role in the robbery at the Vernon Arms and a number of the house burglaries. Peter Edge, of Denfield Court, Cemetery Road, Denton, admitted five burglaries.

Winfield, from Farley Avenue, Debdale, admitted five burglaries.

Their female accomplice, Kelly Edge, 23, received a two-year prison sentence suspended for two years and a six-month residence order. Edge, of Hyde Road, Gorton, admitted her role in one burglary, conspiracy to commit robbery and conspiracy to commit burglary.

Detective Inspector Sarah Pengelly, of Cheshire Police, said: “These defendants showed a blatant disregard for the people they targeted and in one case they were prepared to use violence to get what they wanted.

“We recognise the profound and long-term effect of such crimes, so it is particularly pleasing to see that we have played our part in putting these criminals behind bars.”