A thief who stole £1,850-worth of garden furniture from restaurants has been handed a 12-week custodial sentence.

Stephen Wiggins, 61, stole £900 worth of garden furniture from Richmond’s Rock and Rose restaurant in the early hours of April 27, 2012, then returned to the same restaurant on May 5, 2013, to steal a further £700 worth of furniture.

The retired butcher, who lives in Hertfordshire, also stole garden furniture from Don’t Tell Fred restaurant in Richmond, the French Table in Surbiton and a Hertfordshire hotel, and appeared at Wimbledon Magistrates' Court on Friday, September 5.

Wiggins sold the items, most of which he cut free using bolt cutters and transported away in a van, at a car boot sale, and said he committed the crimes because of significant debt.

The bench decided that due to the pre-meditated nature of the thefts, a custodial sentence was necessary.

One magistrate said: "These crimes carried out over a short period of time involved you travelling a long way away from home and took a great deal of planning - you bringing bolt cutters with you, for example.

"We take the view that they are so serious that only a custodial sentence will suffice."