A PROLIFIC thief who stole worth than £1,200 worth of items during 23 raids carried out over a two-month period at a single supermarket has been jailed.

Daniel Firth, of no fixed abode, targeted the Co-op’s branch on Laithes Lane, Athersley, between September and this month.

Having been made the subject of a wanted appeal by South Yorkshire Police, the 42-year-old was arrested, charged and jailed at Sheffield Magistrates’ Court last Friday.

The court was told how Firth had stolen a huge amount of items - predominantly meat - from the retailer.

Firth was also convicted of spitting at a man and failing to provide a sample for a class A drug test upon his arrest last Thursday.

He was jailed for 24 weeks for the thefts and 12 weeks for the two separate charges, which will run concurrently.

Matt Hood, managing director of Co-op Food, called on MPs to better protect businesses and employees from thieves.

He said: “We are seeing far too many prolific offenders persistently steal large volumes of products in our shops every day, and, if they are stealing to fund addictions, the situation often becomes volatile and dangerous.

“Crime is an occupation for some - it is not petty crime and it is not victimless./

“It is imperative MPs don’t turn their backs on shopworkers.

“A collaborative approach between the retail industry, the police and the government will send out a loud and clear message to all those who commit brazen and violent acts of theft that time is now up on their criminal ways.”/

Police were tasked with cracking down on a huge spike in retail crime in Barnsley were given extra powers to get tougher on thieves this year.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced a raft of new measures in her Crime and Policing Bill, notably faster responses to retailers and tougher sentences to those who steal items worth less than £200.

The scrapping of the previous £200 threshold - which shoplifters had to have exceeded before court proceedings could be launched, much to shopworkers’ dismay - was hailed as a huge step forward.

Barnsley-based officers have set their sights on boosting charge rates to at least 40 per cent - up from last year’s 32 per cent - in the hope of boosting retailers’ trust amid long-held claims from trade unions that not enough was being done to deter criminals from committing theft.

Each of Firth’s offences ranged from £20 to £120, the court was told, and Barnsley North MP Dan Jarvis welcomed the tougher stance.

“I have a great admiration for the police officers who both keep decent Barnsley folk safe and work tirelessly to catch the criminals who blight our borough.

“It is great to see that the government’s Crime and Policing Bill will give them further powers to tackle crimes both in our town and across the country.”