‘Prolific’ Preston shoplifter jailed following multiple thefts at stores across city
A ‘prolific’ shoplifter from Preston has been jailed following multiple incidents at stores across the city.
One incident included a theft at the Spar store in Liverpool Road in which cigarettes and alcohol were stolen on November 10.
Christopher Leigh was arrested last Thursday following multiple enquiries.
He was later charged with six counts of theft from a shop and a further charge of theft from a motor vehicle.
Leigh, 50, of no fixed address, appeared at Preston Magistrates Court on Saturday where he was sentenced to four months in prison.
The magistrates also imposed a further eight-month jail term for breaching a previous suspended sentence, bringing the total sentence to 12 months.
Operation Vulture is Lancashire Constabulary’s response to shoplifting across the county, backed by Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw.
The operation sees dedicated officers undertaking hotspot patrolling, increasing their visibility in targeted areas and creating strong partnerships with retailers across the county to better share intelligence, get a deeper understanding of retail crime and identify more offenders.