A man who tried to steal a hot tub has been banned from every B&Q in Cheshire.

Carl Proctor, of Chell Heath Road in Chell Heath, has been sentenced after pleading guilty to four counts of theft from a shop and one of assaulting a security guard back in August.

The 41-year-old admitted to shoplifting in B&Q in Crewe and at Tesco in Hanley.

At the sentencing at North Staffordshire Justice Centre on Monday, September 29, he was given a community order and handed a five-year Criminal Behaviour Order which bans him from entering any B&Q stores in Cheshire.

He was also ordered not to enter Boots in Hanley, and Pets at Home in Springfield Retail Park, Trent Vale.

Breaching this order could see Proctor sent to jail.

Inspector Dan Welch said: "Proctor was brazen in his attempts to steal from the stores in Crewe and Hanley, taking thousands of pounds worth of goods.

"Thanks to the security guard and staff, and local officers' knowledge in both Cheshire and Staffordshire, we were able to put a stop to his offending and bring him before the courts.

"We are pleased that while he didn't get a custodial sentence, we were able to secure a Criminal Behaviour Order to protect businesses and their staff from his prolific offending."

Proctor has been banned from every B&Q store in the county (Credit: Google Maps)

On July 16, Proctor entered Tesco in Hanley and took a Sharp TV and left the store without paying.

Then, on July 22, he entered B&Q in Crewe, and using a trolley took various power tools and equipment to the value of around £1,000. He left via the garden centre exit without paying.

He returned on August 3 and filled up his trolley with a number of electrical items valuing around £800 leaving through the building yard exit.

On August 11 he entered B&Q with a shopping trolley and put a Lay Z Spa in the trolley. Then the fire alarm was activated as Proctor left via a side service access door. Security challenged him and recovered the Spa, three outdoor lights and a plant. Proctor pushed the security guard as he was alerting police and fled empty handed.

He was recognised as having been responsible for two further thefts from the store previously.

Enquiries, including facial recognition led to Proctor being located and arrested in Staffordshire. He was interviewed by Cheshire Police at their Middlewich custody suite for thefts from shops totalling almost £2,000.