A thief who stole a poppy collection box from a town centre Sainsbury’s on Armistice Day has been jailed.

Daniel Smith, 33, of Kingsnympton Park, walked into the supermarket’s Sury Basin store in Richmond Road, Kingston and took off with the charity box while the cashier was distracted on November 11.

The box contained an estimated £250 worth of charitable collections for war veterans and their families.

Smith was arrested in Kingston town centre shortly after and originally handed officers denied he had anything to do with stealing the box.

He pleaded guilty at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court yesterday, November 17, and was handed a 12-week prison sentence.

He was also ordered to pay £100 court costs and a £180 victim surcharge.

Keith Taylor, from the British Legion Poppy Appeal, said: “The number one thing is it’s stealing from the people that really need help.

“When you hear the stories of the people that we aim to help it is disappointing that the money that kind members of the public have given to this amazing cause has not managed to reach to people that need it most.

"The response that we got from the police could not have been better.

“As soon as I made the report I had a phone call from PC Kiernan to say that he was dealing with it. Shortly after he called me again saying he knew who the man was and he was going looking for him.”

Mr Taylor added that he was disappointed with the sentence given to Smith by magistrates.