TWO Dumbarton thieves have been jailed for a shoplifting spree in which they nicked items worth more than £1,000 from a town centre store.

Robert Hastings, 44, of Overburn Avenue, and Andrew Fenton, 27, of Ashton View, were involved in thefts from the Boots store in High Street in March and May of last year respectively.

The pair were jailed after a sheriff said he could see no other way to stop the pair offending.

The town's sheriff court heard last Thursday how Hastings stole a quantity of cosmetics from the shop on March 10, 2018.

Prosecutor Colin Wilson said: "Hastings, who has previous convictions, stole goods valued at £699.76. There was no recovery. The offence was captured on CCTV."

Fenton stole razors from the same shop on May 14, 2018.

According to court papers Fenton committed the offence while he was on bail, having been made subject to a bail order at Stirling Sheriff Court on February 23, 2017.

Mr Wilson added: "The razors were valued at £351.86, and again were not recovered. One again the theft was captured on CCTV."

Defence lawyer Kenny Clark, appearing for Hastings, said: "He is currently serving a sentence and his earliest date of release is January 4. He has been in jail since September 4, 2018.

"These offences have now caught up with him."

Solicitor Kenny McGowan, representing Fenton, said: "On January 4, 2018, he was put on a drug testing and treatment order at Falkirk Sheriff Court, which was transferred to this jurisdiction.

"On June 14, 2018, he was sentenced to 23 months at Dumbarton Sheriff Court by Sheriff John Hamilton. His earliest date of release is June 14, 2019."

Sheriff Maxwell Hendry asked the pair: "Is there any way to achieve a cessation of offending?. The answer seems to be no, so custody is the only alternative.

"These were offences of dishonesty in the extreme. You will each be jailed for three months, reduced from four months.

"The sentences will each run consecutively to the end of the sentences you are presently serving."