A “ONE man crime wave” has been jailed after stealing a wheelchair from a hospital.

Andrew Reader,aged 37, was sentenced to 13 months in prison at Dartford Magistrates’ Court on May 14 after pleading guilty to three charges of theft.

The court heard one of the charges related to Reader stealing a wheelchair from the minor injuries unit at Gravesham Community Hospital in Bath Street, Gravesend, on May 13.

Reader now has a total of 58 convictions, including burglary, witness intimidation, false imprisonment, carrying an offensive weapon and assault, and a Kent police spokeswoman called him a “one man crime wave”.

Chief Inspector Phil Painter, who is in charge of neighbourhood policing in north Kent, says Reader is a “prolific and persistent offender whose criminal activities impacted terribly on the community”.

Prior to last Friday, his most recent conviction was on December 17 last year, when he pleaded guilty to theft when he appeared at Dartford Magistrates' Court and was sentenced to 56 days in prison.

Gravesham Council evicted Reader from his house in Queens Road on the Kings Farm estate of Gravesend on May 11.

A council spokesman also called Reader a “one man crime wave” and said the drug addict had “terrorised” the estate.

Cabinet member for housing Councillor Anthony Pritchard said Reader’s eviction had been “necessary” for the safety of other residents of the estate.

He said: “Eviction is the ultimate sanction but we will not shy away from it when necessary for the sake of the vast majority of tenants who are honest and decent.”