A serial shoplifter has avoided jail after impressing magistrates with her efforts to stay on the straight and narrow.

Tracy Manser returned to Swindon Magistrates Court on Tuesday, August 6 after pleading guilty to 10 charges.

The 34-year-old, of Harding Street, admitted to stealing biscuits and cakes worth £98.76 from a Swindon Co-op on May 6, 2024, taking laundry items worth £15 from the same supermarket a day later, going back for £41.45 worth of meat on May 15, then stealing laundry items worth £13 on May 19 and returning to shoplift biscuits on May 22.

The defendant took laundry products and chocolates worth £58 from a Swindon Poundland on June 6, 2024.

She also stole cheeses worth £33.45 from the Groundwell Road Co-op on June 13, 2024, took laundry products worth £23.95 from the Beechcroft Road branch of the supermarket chain on June 29, and returned to the Groundwell Road site to take laundry products worth £26.14 on June 30.

Tom Power, prosecuting, mentioned that these were the latest in a long criminal record of previous offences.

He added: "She has had a variety of punishments for shoplifting but none seem to have worked as a deterrent - she has been fined, sent to prison, and given community orders.

"Nothing seems to stop her. This is having a significant impact on the stores affected, it's not just £50 here and there."

Emma Hillier, defending, explained that her client had taken significant steps to turn her life around such as kicking a heroin addiction.

She added: "She is making significant progress, she has a stable address and engaging with the Nelson Trust.

"A lot of her previous convictions were related to drug addiction. She is now scripted... and off heroin.

"She is taking things very seriously and does want to make a change.

"She has lost friends to overdoses and this has had an impact on her - she does not want to continue this way of life.

"She told me she is fed up of waking up clucking off heroin and the first thing she thinks about being drugs."

Magistrates considered sending Manser to jail but instead gave her a community order that requires her to complete 40 rehabilitation activity days and a six-month drug rehabilitation requirement, as well as pay £168.21 in compensation, which will be deducted from her benefits along with the outstanding unpaid fines of £904.83 from previous convictions.

There was no order to pay costs or a victim surcharge.