A SERIAL pickpocket and distraction thief who stole £1,000 from an senior citizen in Stanmore has been jailed.

Richard Dolphy, of Croydon, south London, was sentenced at Isleworth Crown Court to two years' imprisonment and handed a 10-year anti-social behaviour order that prevents him from boarding any bus within the M25.

His oldest victim was a targeted on February 28 outside Natwest Bank in The Broadway, Stanmore.

The 87-year old customer cashed a £1,000 cheque and the notes were placed in a white envelope which she tucked into her handbag, before zipping it up and leaving the branch.

Dolphy approached her and said: "You have dropped your money." When she looked down, there were several loose pound coins on the pavement.

The defendant then pushed a folder full of papers into her arms and picked up some of the money and placed three pounds in the victim's hands.

He then took his folder back and walked away. The woman later noticed that her bag was open and the envelope was missing.

Dolphy admitted the Stanmore theft when he was arrested following a protracted investigation by the Metropolitan Police's Service Safer Transport Command's Crime Squad, which is funded by Transport for London.

The 56-year-old was sentenced on September 29 having earlier admitted at West London Magistrates' Court two counts of theft and asking for a further 12 to be taken into consideration.

Chief Superintendent Sultan Taylor, of Safer Transport Command, said: "This was an excellent result which has seen a prolific pickpocket receive a robust judicial outcome: two years in jail and a severely restrictive ASBO on his release."

BOX:

Dolphy's ASBO forbids him from:

n Boarding, attempting to board, queuing to board or travelling on any bus within the area bounded by the M25

n Placing his hand in any person's bag, pocket or article of clothing, or interfering with any person's bag or article of clothing not belonging to him, without that person's consent, or assisting another to do so in any public place within England and Wales

n Entering any bank or building society unless carrying out legitimate banking business there and then, within England and Wales

n Being within 10 metres of any cash point machine, bank, building society or post office within England and Wales save to withdraw cash using a bank card the property of the defendant