A second-hand gold shop owner who helped a gang sell stolen items from hundreds of burglaries has been ordered to repay more than £320,000. 

Thomas Pateman, 59, of Fen Road in Chesterton, was jailed for eight years in 2018 for his part in a gang which burgled more than 200 homes across Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Essex. 

He was found guilty of being part of a criminal network which stole more than £2 million of goods including cars and cash between February and December 2017. 

The Eastern Region Special Operations Unit (ERSOU) launched an investigation following his sentencing which established that Pateman had benefited by more than £440,000 from his involvement in the crimes. 

READ MORE: WATCH: Porsche caught by police drifting at roundabout

At a Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) hearing at Norwich Crown Court on Monday, Pateman was ordered to repay £320,091 within three months or face further jail time.  

He would also still be required to repay the money. 

Paul Fitzsimmons, senior financial investigation manager for ERSOU, said: “Pateman will now be made to pay for his actions, and we hope that this serves as a strong deterrent to anyone who thinks that they can profit financially from invoking misery on other people’s lives. 

 “While this cannot make up for the impact felt by the victims of Pateman and his fellow gang members, we hope that it can provide some consolation to them.”