A MARYPORT woman who has more than 160 offences of her criminal record is back behind bars after her latest spate of offending.

Shoplifter Melissa Ridley, 35, whose offending has led to her being banned from every Spar shop in Cumbria, had "plundered" businesses in the area where she lives, a Carlisle Crown Court judge said.

She admitted 11 shoplifting offences and 14 breaches of a Criminal Behaviour Order - by going into shops from which she was banned.

Prosecutor Dan Travers outlined her latest catalogue of shoplifting, which included the following crimes on dates last year:

*July 28 and 29: Stole meat worth £50 from Tesco in Maryport;

* August 6, stole razor blades worth £45 from Well Pharmacy in Wigton;

* August 15: Stole booze worth £63 from Wigton Co-op;

* September 13: Stole deodorant and shower gel valued at £11 from Workington Spar;

* September 19: stole vodka and Jack Daniels from Wigton Co-op

* September 26: Took vodka from Maryport News.

In December last year, she committed more thefts from the Spar in Maryport and a local Factory Shop.

"This defendant is a prolific shoplifter," said Mr Travers, adding that Ridley also admitted possessing cannabis.

The defendant committed many of her offences while she was on bail for earlier offending, he said.

He added: "She had been offending since 2002 as a juvenile until February 21 last year. She has 60 convictions for 163 offences."

Judith McCullough, for Ridley, of George Terrace, Maryport, said: "There are glimmers of hope."

She said Ridley had been abstinent from the Class A drugs for a substantial period of time. With support in the community, she could continue to "move into the right direction," said the barrister.

But Recorder Eric Lamb refused to suspend the jail term - despite evidence of Ridley overcoming her addictions.

As she wept, the Recorder told her: "In my judgement, you have demonstrated this is a persistent breach of the [criminal behaviour] order; put simply, you took no notice of it whatsoever." This led to her "plundering" local businesses, he said. The Recorder jailed Ridley for 20 months.