A thief was banned from entering any shop in Swindon after admitting a string of thefts, taking goods worth nearly £800.

Billy-Joe Cosgrave, 21, who lives in Essex Walk in Walcot, pleaded guilty to eight charges of theft from shops between late May and mid-July.

Five of the charges were for thefts from Wilkinson, which saw Cosgrave steal a fan, two mops, a microwave oven, copper pans worth £107, and air fresheners to the value of £80.

In other crimes he stole two perfumes, worth a total of £94 from Boots, numerous cans of Lynx men’s fragrance and an electric toothbrush from Savers Health & Beauty and clothes costing £400 from The Parade.

Cosgrave also admitted committing the offences while under a two year conditional discharge, imposed in March this year, for making off without payment

He was remanded on bail by Wiltshire magistrates after admitting the offences for a pre-sentence report to be carried out.

His bail conditions were that he was to be indoors at between 9am and 9pm every day, he was to wear a tag and he was not to enter any retail premises.

At the same court Edward Webb, 23, of Canterbury Road in Worcester, who is also known as Lee O’Sullivan, admitted dangerous driving in Cricklade Road, The Circle, Chestnut Road and Pinehurst Road in Swindon on May 15. Webb had no licence to drive the Peugeot and had no insurance for the car.

He will be sentenced at Swindon Crown Court for the offences.