A thief who preyed on an 86-year-old woman waiting at a bus stop has been jailed.

Christopher Keeling, 25, of Marine Parade West, Clacton, admitted stealing pensioner Alice Baker's purse from her shopping bag on June 1 at Chelmsford Crown Court on Friday.

Keeling has been jailed for 21 months. Gillian James, prosecuting, said Mrs Baker hadn't realised Keeling had taken her purse and put it in his jacket pocket until he was stopped by shop-owners nearby who has spotted the theft.

The shop owners then demanded he give the purse back to Mrs Baker, which he did.

At first he denied the theft before pleading guilty on the first day of his trial.

Rebecca Chalkey, mitigating, said: "It was an unsophisticated offence the goods were returned immediately."

Judge Ben Pearson said: "The memory of this will stay with her for many years to come. Your victim was elderly and vulnerable. The elderly and vulnerable are entitled to go out onto the highways and byways and feel safe."

Published Monday, March 25, 2002