LONDON.- British courts announced today that five members of the notorious Johnson family have been convicted of conspiracy to burgle and of handling stolen goods. They have been given sentences totalling 49 years following their role in the UK's biggest ever domestic burglary.

Between May 2003 and April 2006, the Johnson family swept through country homes throughout Great Britain, stealing art and antiques valued in excess of $160 million. The largest single burglary was carried out in February 2006 at Ramsbury Manor, the home of collector Harry Hyams, where they stole approximately 300 museum-quality artworks estimated at over $142 million.

Hundreds of items have since been recovered by the police, and with the cooperation of the Art Loss Regsiter, numerous items have been identified and returned to their owners. Of the items identified by the ALR, a painting by a 17th century pupil of Peter Paul Rubens, was stolen from Ramsbury Manor. Additional items recovered by the ALR include several valuable antique clocks stolen from a private house in Berkshire. The ALR was able to identify the properties after they were checked by a provincial auction house which was suspicious of their origins. The ALR notified the police who linked the seller to the Johnson family and made a successful arrest.

Antonia Kimbell, a recoveries specialist from the ALR, said "It is a great victory for the police and for those who have been subjected to the Johnson crimes that this notorious family has been held to account. The ALR is pleased that its database of stolen art and antiques has helped to return items to some of these victims by assisting in their identification. We will, however, continue to search for the property which remains missing."