A prolific shoplifter who continued to target shops despite a court order banning him from certain stores has been jailed.

Adrian Marsh was barred from entering three supermarkets and a shop in Whitstable under the terms of a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) which he was handed in April.

This prohibited him from entering The Co-Op in Oxford Street, Boots in the High Street, Sainsbury's in Reeves Way and Tesco in Millstrood Road for three years.

But the 41-year-old continued to offend - swiping meat, fish and booze from a number of stores in five separate thefts in May.

He was charged with and later admitted five counts of theft and breaching the CBO.

Marsh was jailed for 21 months at Folkestone Magistrates' Court on Friday and made the subject of a further order banning him from a number of stores on his release.

The sentencing came after Marsh stole meat from a supermarket in Tankerton Road on May 15.

"The message to prolific shoplifters is clear: Keep offending and you will be jailed."

Nine days later, he went to four other stores in the town and stole alcohol, meat and fish.

His final offence was in Prospect Way on Tuesday, May 31, when he again stole meat and fish.

The total value of the items stolen in the five thefts was more than £550.

Marsh, of Canterbury Road, was arrested on May 31 and linked to all five offences.

Police found he stole from a store he was banned from in Reeves Way on May 24, leading to him being charged with breaching the CBO.

Sgt Rachel Mulder, of Canterbury's Victim Based Crime Team, said: "Kent Police is committed to protecting local businesses from the attentions of repeat offenders like Marsh.

"CBOs, like the one we obtained in this case, are designed to do precisely that.

"Marsh ignored the opportunity to stop his offending after the court order was imposed, and the sentence he has now received shows how seriously the court takes such breaches.

"The message to prolific shoplifters is clear: Keep offending and you will be jailed."