An obese thief with a sweet tooth has stolen $9000 worth of lollies from a Melbourne shopping centre.

Detective Senior Constable, Leanne Trusler, said the man took the sweets from a Westfield Doncaster Coles supermarket, on three separate occasions between November and December last year.

“He targets mainly chewing gum, Mentos, Tic Tacs, Butter Menthols and Anticols,” Det Sen Cons, Trusler, told reporters on Friday.

“He just picks them off the shelf in boxes, puts them in and walks them out.”

Police say the man tried to steal lollies again before Christmas, but was stopped by staff members and asked to leave.

AAP