ONE of Dorset's worst shoplifters has been jailed yet again after stealing an expensive vacuum cleaner from a high-end store she was banned from visiting.

Lauren Velkoop, of Sterte Close in Poole, appeared at Poole Magistrates' Court on Monday to admit four counts of theft, two of breaching a criminal behaviour order banning her from John Lewis in Redlands and one of assaulting a person by beating her.

The 28-year-old was handed 24 weeks in prison for her latest spree. She was also ordered to pay £448.99 compensation to John Lewis, as well as £100 to a woman assaulted in Poole in December.

It was heard that she cannot visit John Lewis under the terms of the criminal behaviour order, but went on December 4 and 5 last year. On December 4, she took a Nutribullet blender worth £99.99, while on December 5, she stole a Dyson V8 vacuum cleaner worth £349.

She also stole groceries from a Poole branch of Co-op on December 17 and Ryobi tools and worklights worth £275.99 from Halfords in Poole on December 13.

Magistrates said the offences were serious because of her "disregard" for the criminal behaviour order. The offences were aggravated by her record of previous offending, it was said.

As reported, Velkoop was last year sentenced to serve a total of 48 weeks in prison for various theft offences.

In July 2019, she admitted eight counts of theft at Sainsbury's in Poole High Street and Tesco in Fernside Road.

Velkoop stole meat and washing products in her raids on the stores, all of which happened on dates between June 17 and July 17.

She also pleaded guilty to seven counts of breaching a criminal behaviour order banning her from Sainsbury's, as well as another charge of the commission of a further offence during the operational period of a suspended sentence order made for more thefts.

Velkoop appeared in court a total of six times in 2019.