BRUSSELS (Reuters) - An 80-year-old dubbed Belgium's oldest thief by the media faces the prospect of a renewed spell in jail after stealing from a church donation box.

Prosecutors said on Thursday they were seeking a prison term of nine months for the repeat offender, Georges Pirard.

"In this case he only took tens of euros, but we are seeking the sentence to reflect his past," a court official in the town of Leuven said.

"He's been before the courts 30 to 40 times over the last 30 to 40 years. He's also stolen from churches before."

He has been imprisoned for previous offences but the court did not give details.

Pirard told the court he had needed the money as his pension was not enough to live on. A court in the town of Leuven, some 25 km (16 miles) east of Brussels, will deliver its verdict on May 16.