A ONE woman crimewave is back behind bars after racking up her 278th conviction.

Joanne Jones – thought to be the most prolific female serial crook ever in the UK – nabbed £70 worth of kids’ coats from a girl in Wilko.

The 41-year-old – who admits she enjoys shoplifting – also pinched £713 worth of bags and speakers from a Cath Kidston shop.

Jones – banned from almost every store in her hometown of Canterbury, Kent – admitted five counts of theft.

She was jailed for eight and a half months for the crimes between March and December last year.

On average she commits ten offences per year over the last 25 years.

Simon Taylor, defending, said: "This is typical shambolic acquisitive offending at the lowest level possible in order to secure funding for her drug addiction."

Judge Heather Norton at Canterbury crown court said: "You have an appalling record no matter what trouble you have had in your life.

“You make the decisions to commit these offences."

The court previously heard Jones pretty much had her own cell at HMP Bronzefield.

She committed the majority of her most recent crimes in breach of a suspended prison sentence for stealing goods worth £1 from Poundland.

Jones once stole chocolate bar worth less than a pound from a WHSmith store – before eating it in front of shocked shop staff.

She previously said: "I must be a kleptomaniac as well, I just do it for the rush.

"I'll nick anything. If I see it and like it, I'll nick it.

"I have stolen anything I've felt like.

"I've nicked from pound shops, places where there is no chance of selling anything on to make money.

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"I enjoy shoplifting."

Penelope Russell, 49, of Stoke-on-Trent was previously dubbed the worst woman offender with 249 crimes.

Patrick Ryan, 62, of Preston thought to be the most prolific Brit offender who has committed 650 crimes.

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