A WINE thief with a severe alcohol problem has been made subject to a criminal anti-social behaviour order (Crasbo) after repeated thefts of bottles of booze from Malvern shops.

Sandra Wickett, aged 47, of Bellars Lane, Malvern, admitted five thefts of bottles of wine when she appeared at Worcester Magistrates Court on Monday which led to a Crasbo being imposed to try and curb her shoplifting and help to beat her addiction. The five charges cover the theft of nine bottles of wine in just five days.

Wickett stole two bottles worth £10 from Tesco Express in Madresfield Road on June 14, two more bottles to the same value from the same shop next day then one bottle, worth £5, on June 17, also from Tesco Express. Wickett than stole two bottles worth £10 from the Co-op in Madresfield Road on June 17 and then two more bottles worth £10 from the same Tesco Express on June 18.

Jackie Rogers, prosecuting, said all the bottles of wine had been stolen from shops near to where the defendant lives. On each occasion Wickett was stopped and the wine was recovered.

Mrs Rogers said: "On the majority of occasions people at the shop actually knew her and she had previously been a staff member in one of the shops. She is somebody who has recently been before the court on many occasions for this type of offending. She said she would be heavily intoxicated at the time she had entered these stores and she was going in to get more drink."

Sarah Brady, defending, said Wickett had always worked and was a mother to children, all of whom were doing well in life. Mrs Brady said: "For reasons she doesn't fully understand over the last three years she had developed a problem with alcohol, a severe problem with alcohol. That has led to these offences and affected her health and threatened to ruin everything she has."

District judge Nigel Cadbury handed her a 12 month community order with supervision and alcohol treatment for 12 months. There will also be a specified activity requirement of eight two hour sessions.

He said: "You can't keep doing this or the court will lose patience with you." He also ordered her to pay costs of £85.

Lastly, he imposed a two-year Crasbo which contains three conditions: not to enter Tesco Express, not to enter Co-op (both in Malvern) and not to enter the One Stop Shop in either Pickersleigh Road or Barnards Green.

He said: "Hopefully on the basis you have agreed to it (the Crasbo) it may help you. It did appear you did cause harassment, alarm or distress to people when committing these offences, even though you don't remember them."