A “relentless” thief who emptied shop tills across Kent and the home counties using a pair of scissors has been locked up for nearly three years.

Bradley Pogmore brazenly walked into stores and supermarkets and opened unattended checkouts using the special tool – sometimes returning up to three times in a day.

The 41-year-old, whose criminal record contains more than 100 offences, raided premises in Sevenoaks, Tunbridge Wells, Aylesford and Broadstairs in 2022.

Pogmore is said to have targeted retailers including Next, Marks and Spencer, Sainsbury’s and Tesco.

Prosecutor Rio Pahlavanpour told Maidstone Crown Court yesterday (May 22) how Pogmore stole more than £1600 by using his specially adapted pair of scissors to open tills.

This included on March 26 when he stole £350 from Sainsburys at Sevenoaks and three days later carried out a similar attack on a store in Tunbridge Wells.

A judge told Pogmore that his thieving has been "relentless" and he had used a car for trips across several counties to carry out the thefts – targeting stores in Oxfordshire, Essex, Hertfordshire and London also.

Defence barrister Redmond Traynor said Pogmore's life has been blighted by drug misuse.

He was remanded in prison for more than a year awaiting sentence "which he believes has saved his his life because he was in the depth of despair at the time”.

Pogmore, of Foxlands Road, Dagenham, admitted 13 burglaries, conspiracy to carry out 11 more burglaries, and breach of a criminal behaviour order.

Judge Julian Smith told him his thieving sprees had been "well organised" before jailing him for 33 months.