A MAN who committed his 84th theft after drug dealers told him what to steal was jailed for four months yesterday.

Miles Walton, 37, has spent a total of seven years in prison, and has been addicted to drugs for 20 years.

He pleaded guilty to stealing watches and bedding worth £1,140 from the Debenhams store in Harrogate, and was jailed for three months by the town's magistrates.

For failing to answer bail six days later, he was jailed for one month, which is to be served after the first sentence is complete.

Chairwoman of the bench Gillian Horrox told Walton, of Louis Street, Chapeltown, Leeds, that only prison was appropriate as he had travelled to Harrogate to offend and had targeted high-value goods.

Prosecutor Simon Ostler said Walton had been found with eight stolen watches and three items of bedding when confronted by store detective Richard Butcher.

In mitigation, Andrew Tinning invited the court to send Walton to jail, where he hoped to undergo detoxification.

He said his client had been a drug addict for almost 20 years and offended to feed his habit or pay debts.

Walton had been told by drug dealers he owed money to that he would have to steal to pay his debts and they had driven him to Harrogate.

Mr Tinning said Walton knew that, as long as he remained in Chapeltown, he would have drug problems.

But if he could get clean while behind bars, he hoped to begin a new life in Spain.