A woman has been sentenced after admitting stealing from three shops in Catterick in less than an hour.
Police were alerted by CCTV operators at about 11.23am on Friday, August 21, following reports of a woman suspected of carrying out a series of shop thefts.
Officers established that the woman, who is in her 40s, had entered Aldi, Farmfoods and B&M and taken items without paying.
The three offences were committed over the course of less than an hour.
Officers from the Neighbourhood Policing Team, supported by response colleagues, gathered evidence from the incidents and identified a suspect.
The woman was arrested and subsequently charged with all three thefts before being remanded in custody.
North Yorkshire Police said the process from the offences being reported to the woman being charged and remanded took less than 12 hours.
Officers also returned to the affected businesses and worked with staff on measures aimed at preventing further offending, including issuing banning notices.
The woman appeared in court on Saturday, August 22, where she pleaded guilty to all three offences.
She was given a community order and instructed to complete a drug rehabilitation programme.
North Yorkshire Police said the case demonstrated its commitment to tackling retail crime and bringing offenders before the courts quickly.
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Shoplifting is an epidemic and giving a slap on the wrist will not stop it.