A MAN who stole from a charity shop is behind bars today after a judge said charities should be protected from people like him.Richard Moore, 26, was charged with stealing three videos from the Cancer Research charity chop in Felixstowe.

A MAN who stole from a charity shop is behind bars today after a judge said charities should be protected from people like him.

Richard Moore, 26, was charged with stealing three videos from the Cancer Research charity chop in Felixstowe.

District judge David Cooper heard at the hearing at South East Suffolk Magistrates Court that Moore had hidden the videos under clothes.

Prosecutor David Hutson told the court how Moore of Norwich Road, Ipswich had gone into the shop and taken the videos and some clothes into a changing room in July this year.

He then left the changing room and handed the clothes back and left the shop with the videos, worth £9, hidden in his top.

Moore admitted the charge and in mitigation Nigel Inniss said he had taken the videos to sell on because he had lost his wallet and needed money to return home to Ipswich.

Mr Inniss said Moore, who is a catering worker at Felixstowe Docks, had a number of previous convictions and he had made efforts to start again.

"When you look at his record it is pretty hard, there's no doubt in terms of his dishonesty.

"Considering his record it's incredible that he's got himself a job."

Sentencing Moore at Tuesday's hearing, to 28 days in prison, Judge Cooper said: "You have got a shocking record with 33 convictions, and you were stealing from a charity shop.

"Prison is inevitable. Charity shops should be protected more than any other from people like you pilfering goods they can hardly afford to lose."