A former shoplifter who stole “tens of thousands” of pounds’ worth of goods has said he regularly sold stolen items to other shops.

Ross, who has 15 convictions for shoplifting but has never been to prison, estimated he stole £300 worth of goods every day from shops around Leeds which he would then sell on to fund his crack cocaine and heroin addiction.

The 39-year-old said he had now been clean of drugs for five months and was “ashamed” of his actions, which he blamed on the “desperation” of his addiction.

Ross told the BBC’s Jim Connolly about what he used to steal in order to fund his habits.

West Yorkshire Police said the force was “very much aware of the concerns of businesses and regularly reviews offences to identify patterns of offending and put robust plans in place to address them”.

The National Police Chiefs’ Council told BBC News it was “almost impossible” to trace most shoplifted goods but insisted it is focused on making sure those involved are brought to justice.

The government has promised new laws to tackle shoplifting.