AN ITINERANT man has been charged with theft and driving offences following a police vehicle stop in Newport on the Isle of Wight.

Officers stopped a BMW in Meadowside at around 7.15pm on Monday.

The driver, 40-year-old Darren Prouten, was arrested and charged with driving without insurance and driving whilst disqualified.

He was also charged with driving without insurance and driving whilst disqualified in relation to an incident on Brading Road, Ryde, on February 21.

In addition, Mr Prouten, of no fixed address, was charged with theft from a motor vehicle — a car waterproof cover — in Newport on August 18 last year, together with three counts of shoplifting.

The shoplifting incidents are alleged to have taken place between March 29 and April 23 last year.

In all, it is alleged £99.99 worth of goods were stolen from The Range in Cowes, an unknown quantity of items were stolen from B&Q, Newport, and £63 worth of goods from Sainsbury’s, also in Newport.

Mr Prouten appeared at Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court yesterday (Tuesday), where he was remanded in custody to reappear at the Isle of Wight Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday next week (14).