A prolific shoplifter who stole more than £1000 worth of coats from a shop in Peterborough has been sentenced.

Stuart Treadwell, 29, entered Next, at Brotherhood Retail Park, on October 20 and stole three coats worth a total of £216.

Treadwell, of no fixed address, returned to the shop three times between October 28 and November 14, taking 11 coats worth a total of £819.

On November 16, a customer saw him rolling up coats and putting them in a carrier bag. They alerted staff who detained him and waited for officers.

He was arrested and bailed to appear in court on December 15, but he failed to appear.

On December 20, an officer from Peterborough neighbourhood policing team saw Treadwell stood outside One Stop shop, in Herlington Centre, Orton Melbourne, and arrested him for failure to surrender to court bail.

Treadwell appeared at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court on Friday (January 19), where he admitted five counts of theft from a shop and failure to surrender to court bail. He was sentenced to a community order which instructs him to complete a six-month drug rehabilitation requirement and a 30-day rehabilitation activity requirement (RAR).

He was also ordered to pay £1,035 in compensation to Next and was fined £10 for his failure to surrender.

PC Khaled El Jizzi, who investigated, said: “Treadwell knew what he was doing when he entered the shop with no means to pay and a bag to conceal the items in.

“In order for us to continue our dedicated efforts in tackling shoplifting, we would encourage shops to continue reporting shoplifting to us so we can identify offenders.”