A grandfather who posed as a police officer to steal cash from unsuspecting victims has been jailed for 21 months.

Trevor Brown, 46, said he was part of a police operation when he stopped and searched two men in Strood within 10 minutes of each other just after 11pm on March 3 last year.

Together with a female accomplice, Brown stole £30 from the wallet belonging to one, and a total of £245 from the second.

Maidstone Crown Court heard that the father-of-four has two previous convictions for robbery and had been given a suspended prison sentence for an iPhone snatch less than a month earlier.

However, after his arrest for impersonating a police officer and theft, Brown, of Mara Court, White Road, Chatham, was released on bail and continued to commit crime.

Jailing him, Judge Philip Statman said custody was inevitable.

"Such conduct in my judgement undermines the faith that members of the public have in the police. It can cause the victims of such a crime to distrust any onward conduct that he or she may have with police officers."

The judge added that Brown had repeatedly flouted the law.

"What is clear to me from all I have read about you is you have scant regard for the law and every effort in the past made to assist you seems to have not been capable of working."

Judge Statman said his criminal record was indicative of someone who offended to fund a drug habit.

"The only issue for my consideration is how long the inevitable prison sentence should be."

Brown had denied impersonating a police officer and two charges of theft but was convicted by North Kent magistrates and committed to the crown court for sentence.

He was jailed for five months for impersonating a police officer - the maximum sentence is six months - and two months consecutive for the theft charges.

He had admitted three offences of driving while disqualified in October last year and three offences of shoplifting in October and December last year and February this year. For these he was sentenced to a total of two months consecutive.

For the breach of the suspended sentence Brown was jailed for 12 months consecutive, making a total of 21 months.

Brown was also banned from driving for four months and fined £250 or ordered to serve one day in default for three offences of driving without insurance.

"Such conduct in my judgement undermines the faith that members of the public have in the police" - Judge Philip Statman

His accomplice had admitted impersonating a police officer and the two theft charges and was given a 12 month community order by magistrates.

The pair were arrested after their second victim, Mario Molino, realised they were not genuine officers and chased them.

Louise Oakley, defending, said all the offences were committed by Brown to feed his drug addiction, which started with the abuse of cannabis and then progressed to heroin.

She told the court he impersonated a police officer "in desperation" and shoplifted items such as batteries and deodorants that could be quickly sold on.

Miss Oakley said the former forklift driver, whose children are aged between 21 and seven and grandchild is one, was ashamed of his behaviour.

"At his age he should know better," she added.