'One man crime' wave barred from every shop in Hartlepool and Middlesbrough town centres

A judge said the public deserved a break from Andrew Foulds who committed 21 shoplifting offences in Hartlepool between October 29 last year and February 14.

His first was just days after he was in court on 12 other shop thefts and three while he was on a deferred sentence.

The latest series of offences saw him steal just under £2,000 worth of goods from nine different stores in the town, including £430 of Lego and toys from The Range on January 19.

Judge Jonathan Carroll asked the prosecution to draw up restraining orders barring Foulds, 31, from entering any shop and commercial premises in the town centre.

He said: “You were a one man thief machine, racing your way around the shops of Hartlepool and stealing as much as you could get your hands on.

"It has to stop. To give the general public a continuing respite from you and your thieving I intend by virtue of a restraining order to ban you from every single commercial premises in the city centre of Hartlepool.”

Judge Carroll also ordered it to cover Middlesbrough town centre when he was told that is where Foulds is planning to move to after being released from custody.

He added: “You are not transferring your thieving to this side of the river.”

Foulds, of Tower Street, Hartlepool, was imprisoned for six months for the shoplifting offences.

He was also jailed for an additional 18 weeks after he admitted using threatening words and behaviour while on a bus in Seaton Carew in January.