Shoplifter Ashik Ali has been jailed for ten months, after admitting stealing clothes worth hundreds of pounds from stores in Winchester.

The 48-year-old, of Hyde Gate, Winchester, pleaded guilty to four counts of theft from a shop and one count of possession of a Class A drug.

He appeared at Basingstoke Magistrates Court on Thursday 25 July.

The court heard that on Tuesday 9 July, Ali entered the Sass & Edge store, selected three jumpers from a display unit, and walked out without paying. The jumpers were valued at around £320 in total.

On Tuesday 16 July and Thursday 18 July, Ali stole clothes worth a total of around £600 from TK Maxx in The Brooks Shopping Centre.

He also admitted stealing several packs of meat from Marks & Spencer in High Street on Wednesday 17 July.

Officers from the Winchester Priority Crime Team identified Ali through CCTV enquiries and arrested him at his address on Wednesday 24 July.

Ali was found with a wrap of cocaine, as well as some of the meat that had been stolen from the Marks & Spencer store.

He was jailed for ten months.

Inspector Matt Kirby said: “It is not acceptable for retail staff to come to work and fear or witness criminality.

“Ali is a repeat offender and brazenly took items from stores with no intention of paying for them.

“Shoplifting is a district priority for us and I hope this sentence provides some reassurance that we take this type of offending seriously.”