UK’s most prolific shoplifter back behind bars after stealing £1,300 of goods

Britain’s most prolific shoplifter has been convicted for the 180th time after stealing a haul of Cadbury’s creme eggs.

Tanya Liddle, 44, is back behind bars after being charged with stealing £1,300 worth of goods from six shops across 72 hours in Newcastle.

She has been arrested more than 400 times, and her latest shoplifting spree came after she was released from prison again.

This is despite being banned from nearly all shops in the Northumbria Police area, which she gets around by wearing a range of disguises including hats and wigs.

One store manager told MailOnline: ‘We’ve been plagued by Tanya for many years now.

‘When she’s out of prison she tends to try her luck at our shop on almost a daily basis.’

She is accused of grabbing £129.21 of detergent and dog food from a Spar shop on April 12.

The next day – Easter Sunday – she has been charged with stealing – or attempting to steal – from four stores including creme eggs, chocolate, coffee, meat and dairy products worth more than £200.

Later that day she is accused of hitting a service station where she stole biscuits and confectionary worth £299.

She is also charged with raiding a Co-op store for more chocolate and dairy worth £80.

And the following day, Easter Monday, she targeted a Morrisons petrol station and attempted to steal razor blades and laundry products.

She has since been remanded into custody.

Shop staff have said they knew banning her from stores would not work, and she often turns up in bizarre disguises.

A manager of a local supermarket said Liddle tries to steal from them most days.

They said: ‘Whilst we stop her on most of these occasions, we estimate that she’s stolen thousands from us.

‘She was in only a couple of months ago and tried walking past me with bags for life full of products. Like many others we are baffled that she isn’t serving major prison time. 

‘She isn’t fazed by being arrested for a few weeks here and there, and we’ll be amazed if this ban actually works.

‘It’s no wonder we have to deal with shoplifters on a regular basis given even the likes of Tanya aren’t properly punished.’

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