A police chief has praised the sentencing approach to tackle prolific shoplifters which he hopes will break their cycle of offending.

Hastings divisional police commander, Chief Inspector Paul Phelps spoke after a serial thief was given an eight-week suspended prison sentence for stealing, combined with an order to go on a drug rehabilitation course, a 12-month supervision order, being tagged and given a 28 day curfew.

The sentence was imposed on a 35-year-old Hastings man at Brighton Magistrates' Court earlier this month, and Ch Insp Phelps said he hoped the various elements it featured would help put an end to persistent criminal behaviour.

He said: "This was an excellent outcome so far as the police are concerned. Every time someone is arrested it costs around £1600  and all too often offenders are put before the courts, fined and released. They then simply go out and offend again.

"This combined sentence means that not only does the offender risk prison and is subject to tight controls within the community, but he is also being given a chance to kick the drugs habit that often leads to stealing in the first place.

"I hope we will see magistrates taking a similar line in other such cases so that serial offending can be dealt with effectively and robustly.

"Shoplifting is theft. Combating it costs every law-abiding person money in terms of higher prices and taxes, and the courts should be applauded for this combined approach to sentencing in an effort to stamp it out."