A prolific shoplifter who stole more than £2,000 worth of soft drinks from a single Greggs branch has been banned from every Greggs store in the UK.

Tiffany O’Neill, 28, appeared for sentencing at Croydon Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, having admitted 80 offences, and was given a 26-week prison sentence suspended for 12 months. She had originally been charged with 69 theft offences.

Since May, O’Neill had repeatedly targeted the same Greggs outlet on Electric Avenue in Brixton, south London, stealing soft drinks and other goods. The Metropolitan Police said she had been arrested, charged and remanded to court 11 times since May, and that officers had spent 120 hours on the case.

In addition to the suspended sentence, the court imposed a two-year Criminal Behaviour Order banning O’Neill from Brixton town centre and from every Greggs store in the country.

Sergeant Chris Wilkinson, who led the investigation, said: “Our officers worked relentlessly over several months to build the evidence needed to bring this prolific offender before the courts. Despite multiple arrests and repeated offences, we remained focused on securing a positive outcome for our community. Her persistent offending caused repeated distress to staff, harmed the business and placed a significant demand on police resources.”

He added: “We recognise that courts are obliged to follow the guidelines on suspending sentences, but it’s obviously a disappointment that someone who we know has reoffended so frequently is now back out in the community.”

O’Neill was repeatedly released on bail despite breaching her bail conditions and going back to the same branch. She was banned from entering the London Borough of Lambeth and was supposed to wear a GPS tag, but the tag was never fitted. There were four attempts to put a tag on her at her address, but she was not present on each occasion. She also failed to turn up to court on three occasions and had to be arrested each time. Three sentencing hearings were previously adjourned because she failed to appear, and a fourth was delayed earlier this week because of technical issues at the court.

Under new rules aimed at easing prison overcrowding, almost all sentences of less than a year are suspended. The rules, which came into force earlier this year, require magistrates and judges to suspend prison sentences of under a year unless very specific exceptions apply.

Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist said: “A small number of prolific offenders continue to be responsible for the majority of crime and harm in our communities. We are increasingly arresting the same people again and again when they ignored bail or licence conditions, not complied with their electronic tags, or in many cases all of the above. The cumulative impact on retailers and their staff is enormous.”

The Metropolitan Police said earlier this year that 104 repeat offenders were responsible for more than 5,300 crimes in two years. Nationally, for all crime types, 9% of offenders commit 52% of all offences, according to the Home Office.

Greggs chief executive Roisin Currie said the retailer is investing in technology including CCTV and a platform shared with law enforcement to track crime. She said: “We support efforts to apprehend repeat offenders, and we welcome calls for meaningful consequences for those who repeatedly target retailers. Importantly, we would like to see a renewed focus on positive interventions and services that prevent reoffending.”

A Government spokesperson said: “Public protection is our top priority. That’s why we are delivering the biggest expansion of tagging in British history, and this year funding to police forces has increased to its highest cash level of up to £18.5 billion.”

New plans to target 500 of the most prolific shoplifters in the UK were announced by the Home Office on Wednesday. Sixteen police forces are taking part in the year-long scheme, which will see them focus on serial offenders in their areas.

A spokesman for charity Revolving Doors said repeat offending is often fuelled by addiction, mental health issues and homelessness. “The anger of retailers and shop workers is justified,” they said. “Theft is not victimless, and abuse of staff is intolerable. But if we want fewer thefts rather than just more arrests, we have to ask a harder question: why does the same small group of people keep cycling through crisis and custody repeatedly?”

Sources: Bury Times and The Sun.