Two jailed for burgling footballer Theo Walcott

Walcott was robbed while away for the Champions League (GETTY IMAGES)

Two burglars have been jailed for stealing £40,000 of property from the family home of the footballer Theo Walcott as he played in a Champions League game.

The thieves forced their way into the England international's house as he played for Arsenal against Barcelona in the Champions League last season. Walcott's parents and brother, who share the house with him, were at the Emirates Stadium in north London when the raid took place. Kevin Wood, 32, and Ryan Lee, 23, were each sentenced to three years and nine months in prison, an official at Luton Crown Court said.

Wood, from Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, and Lee, of Little Chalfont, Buckinghamshire, denied burglary and theft but were convicted after a trial. A third man, Chengez Khan, 28, of Chesham, Buckinghamshire, admitted being a passenger in Walcott's stolen £25,000 Volkswagen Golf. He was sentenced to three months but will be released from custody as he has spent that amount of time on remand.

When arrested, Wood and Lee, who are both jobless, told police they did not know each other. After the raid in Hemel Hempstead on 16 February this year, they fled in the stolen car with £15,000 of jewellery and electrical items. The trio were caught after being filmed on CCTV cameras at a petrol station.