A Southampton shoplifter who stole almost £900 worth of food, alcohol and washing detergent from Co-Op has been jailed. 

Daniel Barnes, 34, was jailed for 84 weeks at Southampton Magistrates' Court after a month-long spree of thefts from Co-Op. 

Between February 2 and March 4 this year, Barnes committed 16 thefts from the chain, targeting the shops on Weston Lane and Bridge Lane. 

READ MORE: Southampton shoplifter banned from every Co-Op in UK

In total, he stole £899.88 worth of stock including alcohol, meat, cheese, cake, coffee and laundry detergent. 

He pleaded guilty to 16 counts of theft from a shop. 

Barnes, of Church Lane, Fawley was sentenced on March 6. 

He was jailed for 32 weeks for the thefts and a further 52 weeks for breaching a suspended sentence.

Magistrates ruled that he has a "flagrant disregard for court orders" and "for people and their property" with some of the offences committed during the operational period of a suspended sentence. 

Southampton Chief Inspector Chris Douglas said: “Businesses across the city are telling us ever-increasingly that they are being significantly impacted by prolific offenders such as Barnes – we are hearing these concerns and taking action.

"I hope that results such as this one prove our commitment to disrupting the people who commit these crimes and bringing them to justice.

"We would not have achieved such a strong sentence if it weren’t for the support and co-operation of our colleagues at Southern Co-op and we would like to sincerely thank them for such an effective example of partnership working.

“Continuous theft from the stores within our communities and the harassment, abuse and assault of shop staff will not be tolerated by police – it is simply not acceptable for staff to be fearing abuse while at work.

"We will continue focusing on the prevention of these types of offences and ensuring that the courts have the full facts on which to sentence those who commit such crimes.

"Our overall aim is to ensure that residents and shop workers can go about their business free from the risk of abuse or assault.

“Please keep reporting incidents to us via 101 or online – you can also come and speak to patrolling officers at any time.”