Watch as persistent thief steals from a Peterborough shop that he had targeted seven times

Cambridgeshire police say the man who repeatedly stole items including desserts, cheese and meat from the same shop has been jailed for six months.

A police spokesperson said: “Edward Wilby (36) went to the branch of M&S at the BP garage off Bretton Way seven times from January 27 to February 16.

“Each time, he stole various items by putting them in a bag and walking out without paying.

He said: “On February 17 he went to Aldi in Flaxland, Bretton, where he stole meat worth hundreds of pounds.

“But with effective communication between stores via "Disc", an information sharing platform, police were able to apprehend Wilby.

The spokesperson said: “When Wilby was arrested later that day by officers from the Spree Offender Team he was carrying some of the meat.”

Wilby, of no known address, admitted eight counts of theft from a shop.

He was jailed for six months and ordered to pay £549.70 in compensation at Peterborough Magistrates' Court on February 18.

Afterwards, PC Rebecca Risebrow, from the Spree Offender Team, said: “Wilby persistently stole from the same shop, taking hundreds of pounds worth of stock.

“He simply strolled in, filled a bag with what he wanted and walked out again.

“This kind of behaviour is incredibly frustrating for retail staff.

"We’re working closely with businesses to identify offenders and bring them before the courts.”