A pair of persistent shoplifters have been jailed after targeting stores in Norwich.

Chelsea Townsend and Vinnie Peach mostly targeted Co-op shops in and around the city, sometimes taking hauls worth more than £100 multiple times a day.

Items including meat, coffee, laundry products and chocolate were stolen between September 30 and October 26.

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The pair were arrested on November 2 and remanded into custody by magistrates the next day.

Townsend, 23, of Dolphin Grove in Norwich, admitted to six counts of theft from a shop and common assault.

Peach, 29, and of the same address, admitted to seven counts of theft from a shop and three counts of failing to comply with a Community Protection Notice banning him from entering Co-op stores in the city.

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After further investigation, Townsend asked for six other shoplifting offences to be taken into consideration and Peach asked for 10.

They appeared at Norwich Magistrates’ Court for sentencing on November 8 and were each handed 14 weeks in jail.

Townsend was also ordered to pay £100 compensation for the common assault.

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Duncan Etchells, staff supervisor for Operation Converter, hailed the support of shop staff who identified the suspects.

“Peach and Townsend are both persistent shoplifters who have so far chosen not to change their behaviour," he said. "It was only after the excellent initial work of Norwich officers along with the shop staff they were identified as responsible for these offences, arrested and charged.

"Hopefully, a custodial sentence will get them the support they need, have a positive effect, and lead to them stopping their shoplifting offences.”