A PROLIFIC Cotswold criminal was jailed for 28 months for his latest burglary spree - targeting shops in Bourton on the Water and Cirencester.

At Gloucester Crown Court Craig Russell, aged 45, of Oakley Road, Cirencester, admitted five burglary charges and asked for two others to be taken into consideration.

He was on parole from an earlier prison sentence when he started the new burglary spree.

He claimed he did it because he was under pressure for money from a drug dealing gang which blamed him for the loss of about £7,000 worth of hard drugs.

Prosecutor Janine Wood said the first of the burglaries was committed by Russell and another man at the Cor Blimey chip shop in Bourton.

They broke in and got £500 from the till.

A week later the chippy was raided by Russell a second time although this time only a small amount of change was taken because the owner had made sure no large sums were left on the premises in the wake of the first burglary.

CCTV at the shop showed the burglars on both occasions.

On July 27 Russell also burgled Shalom the Rainbow coffee shop in Bourton, taking £700 cash and causing £800 worth of damage in the process.

A policeman who viewed CCTV footage of that burglary recognised Russell and he was arrested but made no comment.

Mrs Wood said on August 3 Russell burgled Bensons bed shop in Cirencester and CCTV showed him using a stone to smash his way in through a rear entrance.There was an untidy search, footmarks were left around the premises and a 40" TV was stolen.

The shop was closed for five hours for the police investigation about £3-4,000 worth of trade was lost.

Goldsmiths jewellers in Cirencester was also burgled that day.

Russell could not get past the bars into the main store but stole 13 empty watch boxes which were were between £100 and £300 each, Mrs Wood said.

The boxes were later found dumped nearby.

Mrs Wood said Russell's lengthy list of criminal convictions showed he had made 64 court appearances for 202 offences.

Sarah Jenkins, defending, said "Drugs to the value of £7-8,000 were stolen and he was accused of being involved in that theft. Pressure was put on him to be responsible for a part of those drugs to the tune of £2-3,000.

"He has been paying individuals in order that threats are not carried out against him. That money has come from his benefits and also from the proceeds of his offending.

Recorder James Watson QC jailed Russell for a total of two years and four months and ordered him to pay a £170 surcharge.