A "PROLIFIC" burglar has been jailed and banned from entering a number of areas in Ellesmere Port. 

Mark Latham appeared at Chester Crown Court on Thursday, November 30, where he was sentenced to three years and four months in prison.

The 52-year-old of Lime Street, Ellesmere Port, was also served a five-year Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO).

Latham admitted that, between May 5-8, he entered Clear Accounting on Rossmore Business Village and stole five Lenovo laptops to the value of £2,500, a 50-inch TV screen worth £900, five or six telephone units, a set of Apple airpods, a pair of glasses and two bank cards.

He also admitted entering Alternative Approach on Rossmore Business Village, stealing a £400 Milwaukee drill set, and entering Matt Finish on Waters Business Park, stealing £100 in cash, £30 digital scales, a £80 Alcatel phone and a £300 PC monitor. Both offences happened on August 27.

He also admitted entering CyberIAM on Rossmore Business Village on August 19 with intent to steal.

During the hearing, the court heard that Latham had targeted several local small businesses across the town and causing considerable criminal damage to them. 

Under the CBO, Latham has been banned from entering the Rossmore Business Village, Oak Street and Water Business Park areas of Ellesmere Port.

He has also been ordered to not deliberately touch, tamper with any equipment used for CCTV purposes, including CCTV cameras, ring doorbells, external or security lighting, without the consent of the owner.

The order will begin upon his release from prison and if he fails to comply with the CBO, Latham will be committing a criminal offence which may result in recall to prison or fine.

'Mark Latham has been a persistent problem'

Police Constable Lucy Hawkins, of Ellesmere Port Local Policing Unit, said: "Mark Latham has been a persistent problem for the local businesses of Ellesmere Port and I welcome the sentence that has been handed to him.

"While he is now behind bars, when he is released from prison the CBO will come into force and will help to limit his future offending.

"I hope that this result sends a clear message that we will not stop in detaining those who disrupt our communities and will do all we can to bring them to justice."