A TOURIST on a trip to York to “get away from everything” raided or defrauded four city centre shops in an hour, York Crown Court heard.

“Public nuisance” Stephen Riddall, 46, went into staff offices at Clarkson’s Menswear and nearby Shared Earth, said Rachael Landin, prosecuting.

He used bank cards stolen in the first raid repeatedly at Tesco’s in Goodramgate and at WHSmith in Coney Street.

But the manager of Shared Earth sounded the alarm and police identified Riddall.

He has 101 criminal convictions, including similar offences and house burglaries, and was on a suspended prison sentence imposed just weeks before the York visit for similar offending, said Ms Landin.

His barrister Samantha Bonner said Riddall had legal problems in London and his mother’s health was deteriorating.

“He was in York on a visit. He was trying to get away from everything,” she said. “It is too easy for him to revert back to his old ways.”

The Recorder of York, Judge Sean Morris, told him: “You are, quite frankly, a public nuisance, a disgrace to your family and here you are bringing shame and misery to your sister and your mother yet again.”

He jailed him for 18 months including five months previously suspended.

He also described Riddall as a “habitual burglar”.

Riddall, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to two shop burglaries and two bank card frauds.

Ms Landin said staff at Clarksons Menswear in High Petergate found Riddall close to their staff room on March 16 shortly before noon. He left and checks revealed he had two bank cards belonging to one employee.

The cards were used five times between 11.50am and 11.58am at Tesco’s in Goodramgate, all for amounts under £100, totalling £223.40.

Riddall went on to WHSmith in Coney Street where he bought nine scratchcards for a total amount of £45, using the cards contactless and wearing a snood or covering over his face.

In total, in less than 20 minutes, he had taken £268.40 from the employee’s bank account, said Ms Landin.

At 12.45pm, Riddall was in Shared Earth in Minster Gates near its staff office and behaving in a way that aroused the manager’s suspicions.

She confronted him and recognised him from an earlier incident. He claimed he was shopping with his mother and because of his behaviour towards her, she let him leave.

She alerted police and found that he had taken £131.85 from the staff office.

Ms Bonner said Riddall was remorseful and wanted to go straight on his release from prison. He had managed five years without offending when he wasn’t taking drugs and not drinking.