POLICE are offering a £2,500 reward for information leading to the arrest of this career criminal thought to be hiding out in Basildon or Southend.

Officers from four forces are hunting Simon Knights, who has connections to both Southend and Basildon, following a string of burglaries in Sussex, Hampshire, Kent and Essex.

The gambling addict has done at least six spells in jail for hundreds of burglaries.

Knights, was last snared in 2011 when cops lay in wait for him at one his haunts, Maxims Casino, Western Esplanade, Southend and arrested him as he played on the slot machines.

Knights, 38, was subsequently sent down for four years at Basildon Crown Court after admitting 33 break-ins across south Essex.

This was just months after finishing a prison sentence for burgling a staggering 150 homes in homes in Westcliff, Benfleet, Billericay and East Sussex.

Knights, who used to live in Westcliff, used to dress up in a suit and travel to his crimes by taxi to avoid suspicion.

He would knock at homes to determine whether homeowners were in, before using a special glass hammer to smash his way through back doors.

Knights would then help himself to whatever valuables and jewels he could find.

Police have been hunting Knights since June and are so desperate to find him, they have stumped up a £2,500 reward for information leading to his arrest and conviction.

Since the June offences Knights has been linked to offences in Hampshire, Kent and Essex.

But they believe Knights is now hiding out in either Southend or Basildon.

Detective Constable Pippa Hannard said: "We need to speak to Knights about the eight offences in June in Sussex but have not been able to trace him so far.

"We believe that he uses the rail network to get around so people might see him on trains along the south coast. He has links to Essex so could have returned there but we need anyone who sees him to contact us as we do not know where he is.

"If you have any information about where he is or where he has been, please get in touch."

Knights is white, about 5' 8" and has ginger hair and blue eyes.

Anyone with information should email 101@sussex.pnn.police.uk quoting serial 840 of 16/06, call 101 or contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.