Burglary gang followed footballer from training

A GANG of burglars who had Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak under surveillance before they broke into his house have been jailed for more than 30 years.

- ROB KENNEDY

Four Italian nationals targeted the Sweden international's Darras Hall home during three high value raids at homes across the North East in which they stole property worth £1.3 million.

As the quartet were sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court, it emerged they had spent hours in the vicinity of the Magpies' Benton training ground in reconnaissance missions to work out his movements.

When they were arrested, police also found pictures of the footballer on a mobile phone seized from one of the gang.

Now family members Valentino Nikolov, Charlie Jovanovic, Jela Jovanovic and Giacomo Nikolov have been locked up for conspiracy to burgle which also saw them target award-winning Newcastle charity boss Helen McArdle.

Dan Cordey, prosecuting, said: "They are all Italian nationals. The prosecution say they are part of an organised professional gang who travelled to the UK for the purpose of committing carefully planned burglaries, specifically targeting high-value properties.

"The burgled houses were targeted, as evidenced by the type of items stolen and in particular their attendance near the Newcastle United training ground before the burglary of a Newcastle United player's home, together with saved images on mobile phones that were recovered showing an interest in these kind of properties and in particular high value goods and designer handbags."