A thief described as “one of the cleverest woman criminals” was jailed for eight years in 1935 after a gruelling police hunt.

Florence Page, 52, was wanted for five years while she targeted shopkeepers in every London borough, as well as towns all over England.

On Friday, July 26, the Wandsworth Borough News carried the report of her trial at the Old Bailey.

Detective Inspector Hayward told the court: “Everything possible has been done to catch her. We knew it was this woman, shopkeepers have been notified and we have had special observations on certain shops.

“The whole of the country has been circularised regarding her and her methods, but she seems to have met with success all over the country.”

Page was found guilty of being a “habitual criminal” after pleading guilty to tricking four shopkeepers into handing over goods.

Almost 300 other offences of a similar nature were also taken into consideration.

Her ingenious method involved giving false names and addresses to shopkeepers, making off with goods and never returning.

The matter would not be reported to police for a while, by which time she had moved off to another area.

Det Insp Hayward added that more than £2,000 had been stolen in this way since January 1930.

Her downfall was to return to a district where she had recently tricked a shopkeeper, who by chance got into her tramcar.

In a statement, Page said ill-health had turned her to crime, as she could not earn sufficient money to keep herself.

The report continued: “Judge Dodson, summing up, said the evidence showed that Page was a woman of skilled determination and accomplishment.

“One did wonder if her health was so bad how she could perform these energetic peregrinations in every place she could think of.

“There were very few places which had escaped her attention.”

Judge Dodson decided she had “waged war” on society and therefore must go away for a long time.