A PROLIFIC thief has been jailed for 32 weeks after a police chase in Andover last week.

Officers were spotted chasing Jake Hughes, of the Hexagon, on Friday lunchtime as the 29-year-old was wanted in connection with shoplifting offences.

He was eventually caught and appeared at Basingstoke Magistrates’ Court the following day, where he admitted five counts of shoplifting and five of breaching a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO).

The court heard that Hughes had stolen items such as bottles of alcohol and packets of meat from stores on five occasions between February 13 and 23.

In doing so, he breached a CBO imposed by magistrates in June last year.

The two-year order bans him from entering Boots, Waitrose, Tesco, Sainsbury's, Poundland, Co-op, Wilkinsons and TK Maxx in the town. It also prohibits him from abusing, threatening or intimidating anybody in any retail outlet in Andover.

On Saturday Hughes was jailed for a total of 32 weeks after pleading guilty to the ten offences.

Speaking after the hearing, Sergeant Pete Robinson, of Andover’s Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “It is disappointing that Hughes has breached the order by committing these offences.

“Hopefully this sentence of imprisonment gives some reassurance to victims that we take these offences seriously and will look at every option to bring offenders to justice.”

In October, last year, Hughes had been jailed for 12 weeks after stealing bottles of fragrances worth a total of more than £400 in two separate incidents.

Four months prior he had been banned from entering eight stores in the town, listed above, after stealing thousands of pounds worth of items. He had also been jailed for six weeks for the offences.