A burglar who pretended to be a member of staff to get into a supermarket out of hours has been jailed for a year.

Cambridgeshire police say that William Fletcher (42) managed to avoid detection by entering Asda, in Viersen Platz, Rivergate, Peterborough, through a rear loading area.

Police say that Fletcher used this ruse twice between January 15 and January 29 but also broke in another two times during the same two-week period.

A spokesperson said: “Fletcher stole various items including £1,000 of cigarettes and nearly £1,300 of alcohol.”

Fletcher was arrested and charged with the four burglaries and in addition was also charged with four other offences:

Theft of cosmetic items from B&M, in Bridge Street, Peterborough, on January 16.
Theft of an e-bike from Asda, in Viersen Platz, on January 29.
Burglary of more than £2,000 worth of tools from B&Q, in Maskew Avenue, Peterborough, on January 29.
Theft of a milkshake from Asda, in Viersen Platz, on January 29.

Fletcher, of no fixed address, was jailed for a year and ordered to pay £272 in compensation after admitting the offences at Huntingdon Magistrates’ Court on January 31.

Afterwards, PC Rebecca Risebrow, from the spree offender team, said: “Fletcher was determined to get away with these crimes and went to great lengths to access the buildings.

“These high-value thefts can have a big impact on businesses, and the sentence reflects the seriousness and frequency of offending.”