A prolific south east London handbag thief has been jailed for a year after he was traced by CCTV.

Anthony Morris, 53, of Friern Road, East Dulwich, appeared at Croydon Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 15 December where he pleaded guilty to theft, handling stolen goods and fraud by false representation.

He first came to the attention of police when he stole a handbag from outside a venue along the South Bank on July 16.

Within minutes, he was captured on CCTV at a shop on Waterloo Road using stolen bank to fraudulently purchase mobile phone vouchers.

Morris struck again on August 11, when he stole another handbag from a pub on Upper Ground.

On this occasion he visited two nearby shops in quick succession to make fraudulent purchases using cards obtained during the theft.

Officers were able to use CCTV from the thefts to identify Morris. He was arrested on Saturday October 3.

While in custody, his home was searched. Property found during the search allowed officers to link him to three further bag thefts at locations across the centre of London.

Police Sergeant Darren Watson, of the Central South BCU, said: “Bag theft may not seem like the most serious of offences, but it is one that causes huge upset and inconvenience for its victims and the effects go far beyond a loss of property.

“Londoners and those visiting our great city should be able to enjoy themselves without worrying that their belongings will be taken from under their nose.

“I am proud of my officers for the work that went into linking a series of offences to this one repeat offender, in particular the lead officer, PC Sarah Jackson, whose determined efforts helped to remove a prolific thief from the streets of London.”