A PROLIFIC Warrington fraudster is back behind bars once again for a spending spree with stolen bank cards.

Dale Simpson admitted using other people’s money to buy more than £300 worth of items.

The 35-year-old appeared before Warrington Magistrates’ Court yesterday, Thursday, having previously pleaded guilty to six counts of fraud, handling stolen goods and breaching a criminal behaviour order.

The court heard how, between November 11 and 13, Simpson used stolen bank cards to make fraudulent purchases totalling £322.11 at 16 locations across Warrington.

These included £79 at Cash Converters, £70 at Foot Asylum and more than £30 at Ice and Slice.

The cards had earlier been stolen from a car parked outside an address on Lavender Gardens in Sankey Bridges on November 11.

Following the reports, an investigation was launched by Cheshire Police, and Simpson was quickly identified as the offender by CCTV footage.

He was subsequently arrested at his home on Wednesday, November 27, and charged in relation to the incidents.

In addition to the fraud offences, Simpson was also charged with breaching his criminal behaviour order, which prevents him being in possession of any bank card, credit card or store card that is not in his name.

Simpson, of Museum Street near the Warrington town centre, was sentenced to 62 weeks in prison.

The sentence was welcomed by PC Lewis Hand, who said: “Simpson is a prolific offender who has a long history of committing serious acquisitive crime, which causes considerable harm to our communities.

“Despite our attempts to engage with him to reduce his offending, he continues to commit crime.

“Thankfully, our officers were quickly able to identify him as the offender in this case and, as a result of his actions, he is now back in prison.”