PERSISTENT offender David Gascoigne has been warned he faces jail after he and an accomplice stole clothes worth £1,105 from a Chippenham shop.

Gascoigne, 24, of River Parade, Chippenham, pleaded guilty when he appeared before north west Wiltshire Magistrates on Monday.

He also pleaded guilty to attempting to buy goods worth £600 from Dixons in Chippenham High Street on March 25, using two fraudulent credit cards.

He will be sentenced on May 20.

The court was told security guard Nigel Wright spotted Gascoigne and another man walking in to Borough Parade on April 15.

Mr Wright recognised the men and watched them walk past Littlewoods and stand outside the Jeanius clothes store.

Frank Murphy, prosecuting, said: "The taller of the two started to kick and shoulder the left hand door of Jeanius.

"He (Mr Wright) said they were in the shop for some four minutes or so and when they left they had a large quantity of clothes in their arms."

Gascoigne was grabbed by the security guard when he dropped some clothes and stopped to pick them up.

Gascoigne then broke free and ran off.

Mr Murphy said Gascoigne had previously been arrested after attempting to buy goods in Dixons on March 25.

The court was told the credit cards Gascoigne used were in the name of Lee Moore, of Silver Street, Corsham, whom police have been unable to locate.

Muriel Wrench, defending, said Gascoigne said he had tried to stay out of trouble since being released from prison 22 months ago.

She said: "He has reached the stage where he very much wants to put offending behind him.

"He realises this is no way to spend the rest of his life.

"He appreciates that without some formal assistance from the probation service he will not be able to restrain himself from re-offending."

Magistrates told Gascoigne they were considering sending him to prison.