A MEMBER of an Ellesmere Port-based burglary gang has failed to have his jail term cut.

Forklift truck driver Steven Littler was part of a group which made off with thousands of pounds in raids on two of Britain's most prestigious golf clubs.

Last November they travelled hundreds of miles across the UK to steal £20,000 worth of golf equipment from Wentworth Golf Club in Surrey.

That same month they caused £12,000 of damage at former Ryder Cup venue Ganton Golf Club, near Scarborough in Yorkshire, after ram-raiding the club and stealing £13,000 of equipment.

The gang also stole or bought high-powered getaway cars to make their escape after the raids.

They were involved in a 140mph chase with police on the A64 near York before eventually crashing their car and being arrested on November

16.

Littler, 28, of Sutton Way, Ellesmere Port, was subsequently jailed for four years at Chester Crown Court on June 12 this year after pleading guilty to two counts of burglary.

Last week he asked Mr Justice Penry-Davey, sitting with Mr Justice Treacy and Sir Michael Wright at London's Criminal Appeal Court, to cut that sentence.

Littler argued the jail term was too high in comparison with those imposed on his co-accused who, he said, had worse criminal records than him.

But Mr Justice Penry-Davey dismissed his appeal saying: 'This case involved a professional gang responsible for a series of commercial burglaries involving the use of high powered motor vehicles and the willingness to ram-raid and the theft of high value items.

'The sentences on the other three were, if anything, on the lenient side and the sentence on this man was not manifestly excessive or wrong in principle.'