DANIEL Barnes, aged 30, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to robbing Joy Taylor of a handbag in November 2007.

He also admitted theft of a handbag from Jaqueline Gummer in December 2007, and robbing Peter Redhead of a wallet and mobile phone two days later.

The pleas were entered on the day of a proposed trial (May 5) and accepted by the Crown Prosecution Service.

Judge Michael Roach remanded Barnes in custody, pending a report by the probation service, until sentence on June 8.

The judge told Barnes: "It's likely to be a sentence of some significance."