A thief who rifled through lockers at Walsall Gala Baths, has been banned from every leisure centre and health club in the region.

Lee Lynch, aged 48, was jailed for 56 weeks at Birmingham Crown Court after admitting five offences of theft by breaking into lockers and stealing items including wallets, cash and mobile phones – bringing his total number of convictions to 143.

Among his offences, Lynch admitted stealing a watch, iPhone and Blackberry phone from the bags of pupils visiting Walsall Gala Baths for a PE class on October 6 last year.

The thief, of Chilvers Grove in Kingshurst, Solihull, was given a criminal anti-social behaviour order to steer clear of any sports centre, swimming baths, gym or hotel leisure complex until January 2016, or risk going back to prison.

The court heard that Lynch snatched a laptop computer from a student union recruitment stall at Aston University on October 10.

He also walked into Meadowside Leisure Centre in Burton upon Trent on September 20 and used a screw driver to prise open changing room lockers.  He then hid in a cubicle and pinched £12 in loose change from trouser and coat pockets.

He had raided numerous lockers at Wyndley Leisure Centre in July and was handed a 32-week prison term suspended for two years on August 12 for similar offences across Solihull and Birmingham. The suspended tariff was triggered by his most recent thefts and counted towards his 56-week sentence.

Investigating officer Pc Paul Dempsy said: “This order is essential to curb Lynch’s offending pattern.

“The courts have given him ample opportunity to change his ways, by imposing suspended sentences and offering support services, but he has continued to offend.

“This order now bans him from his hunting grounds in the West Midlands, and, upon his prison release, if he ignores the conditions he can expect to be hauled back into custody.”