A PROLIFIC shoplifter has been jailed after stealing thousands of pounds of glasses.

James McDonagh was arrested on July 11 in Upper Street after stealing glasses near Angel tube station.

Police said he was responsible for a number of thefts to the value of £5,500. He pleaded guilty to six offences and has received a sentence of 30 weeks in prison plus costs.

Shopkeepers have told the Tribune that shoplifting around the Angel area has got out of control and Upper Street was compared to “the Wild West”.

Matthew Crawford, whose homewares and toy shop After Noah is regularly targeted, told the Tribune in March that thieves do more than steal their stock.

“I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve been assaulted,” he said.

“I’ve been bitten, I’ve been stabbed with syringes, I’ve had to have a course of hepatitis B jabs. It’s just horrible.”

Mr Crawford’s business lost £80,000 of stock to thieves, he said. He has doubled the number of security cameras and had to spend on other measures.