A man travelled from Dagenham to steal items, including children’s clothing, from prosperous towns on the Surrey and Hants border to pay off his debts.

Derek Maycey, 40, of Pettit Road, stole dresses and cosmetics to sell in a frantic effort to stave off his creditors.

He was jailed for 10 weeks at Guildford Crown Centre on August 11 for breaching a curfew on five occasions, which had been imposed for committing the thefts in Haslemere and Grayshott.

Sending him to prison, Judge Suzan Matthews said: “You had no intention of complying with this order and you’ve been brought to book. Down you go.”

Maycey pleaded guilty to the thefts in June this year.

He was given a 12-month jail sentence, suspended for one year. He was also ordered to observe a six-week curfew from 7pm to 7am

But the company electronically monitoring the curfew said Maycey had been out of his house on five separate occasions.

His new defence counsel Francis Gilbert said his client blamed his behaviour on the ill health of his mother.

Judge Matthews told Maycey: “I’m sorry your mother is ill.”

However, she said she had no alternative but to activate the bulk of the original sentence – especially as Maycey had started breaching the court order only two weeks after it was originally imposed.

“This order did not get off the ground,” added Judge Matthews.

The court originally heard Maycey targeted a chemist’s shop in Grayshott, Hants, stealing �1,500 worth of cosmetics.

Then he hit a specialist children’s clothes store in Haslemere, Surrey, removing �195 worth of frocks, it was revealed.

Original defence counsel Diedre Collins said: “The offences stem from my client’s financial difficulties.

“Loan companies were chasing him for various debts. He acted alone.”

Ms Collins said: “The majority of the goods were recovered in a saleable condition.”