A SERIAL burglar who stole money from charity shops and a hair salon has been sent to prison.

Christopher Paul Rees, 43, pleaded guilty to six counts of burglary on Monday and was sentenced to three years and nine months in prison.

Rees, of no fixed address, mostly targeted charity shops in Hampshire, but started his spate of burglaries in Seaford when he stole £253 from St Wilfrid’s Hospice shop in Broad Street overnight between December 11 and December 12, last year.

The rest of his crimes happened the same week up until December 19, totalling £1,206 of cash stolen.

Rees was linked to all six crimes through mobile phone, CCTV and forensic evidence. Rees pleaded guilty at Portsmouth Crown Court.

PC Dave Rowe, who led the investigation for Hampshire Constabulary, said: “Any crime of burglary is despicable and has a lasting and immeasurable impact on its victims, however to target charity shops and local businesses is particularly abhorrent.

“We are pleased that he will now face the consequences of his actions and hope that this sentence sends a clear message that crimes of this nature will not be tolerated. We take crimes like this very seriously and will investigate all available lines of enquiry to identify those responsible and bring them to justice.”

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