A prolific thief targeted the same shop not once, not twice, but seven times to swipe hundreds of pounds worth of goods from inside.

Lee Tregaskes walked into the Co-op store in Whitstable and stole various items between June and July.

The 33-year-old, who was effectively homeless, stole coffee, food from the chiller aisles, deodorant, cleaning products and other household goods.

He was identified via CCTV and arrested and charged with seven counts of shoplifting totalling £772.40.

Tregaskes, of Linksfield Road, Westgate-on-Sea, appeared at Margate Magistrates’ Court on December 4 and admitted all seven charges.

The court heard he had carried out the thefts between June 19 and July 30.

On one day, July 13, he visited the store twice to pilfer items and on two occasions walked out with almost £150 worth of goods.

Julie Farbrace, prosecuting, told magistrates on the first occasion on June 19, he walked out with £142.80 of items.

She added: “He put cleaning products in his rucksack along with some items from the fridge and made no attempt to pay.

“On July 12, in the same store, he stole 12 jars of coffee and put them in his rucksack and they were valued at £81 and again made no attempt to pay.”

She then told magistrates Tregaskes then went in on July 13, twice and stole £148 of items on the first occasion and returned later to loot jars of coffee and multiple deodorants valued at £68.

He then returned to the store on July 15 and swiped more items from the fridge worth £127.70 and popped in again on July 24, and took more coffee and cleaning products valued at £115.90.

The court heard his last raid at the store saw him stealing more coffee and household goods worth £89.

The prosecutor added: “All the thefts were caught on CCTV and he was identified later and he was interviewed on August 23 and made no comment, but pleads guilty today.

“He has previous [for shoplifting] and was given a fine on July 8 and has failed to comply with a court order also given in July when he got a conditional discharge and was resentenced to a community order.”

The court also heard Tregaskes did not have a drink or drug problem but had been effectively homeless at the time, but was now sleeping on his mum’s sofa and that he had a job interview after his court appearance.

Magistrates decided to order an all-options pre-sentencing report to be carried out on Tregaskes before he is sentenced.

The chairman of the bench said: “These offences are prolific and carried out over a sustained period of time and we would like more information on you and your circumstances.”

Tregaskes will be sentenced over the matters at the same court on January 3 and was granted bail until then.