A 27 year old man raided the staff areas of three Gloucestershire Tesco stores after stealing one of the company's uniform shirts, a court heard last week.

Alexander Powell of Fernleigh Crescent, Cheltenham, pleaded guilty to stealing the Tesco tee shirt and some blu ray players in Cheltenham on 24th August.

He also pleaded guilty at Cheltenham Magistrates Court on October 21st to entering a back room behind the customer services desk at Tesco's in St Oswald's, Gloucester, on Aug 27th and stealing Nintendo Switches and an X-Box controller to a total value of £329.

Powell further admitted a similar offence on the same day at Tesco in Colletts Drive, Cheltenham, and stealing a Nintendo Switch and Playstation 4 valued at £508.

And he admitted a final charge of entering the stock room and staff changing area of Tesco Quedgeley with intent to steal on August 28th.

The magistrates sentenced him to 12 weeks jail suspended for 18 months. He was also ordered to pay Tesco's compensation totalling £917.

The court said the case merited a prison term because of Powell's previous criminal record and the pre-planned nature of the offending against Tesco.

But they said it could be suspended because he has made 'real progress' on probation, is addressing his use of drugs, and has found employment.