MORE than �1,000 worth of toiletries were swept off the shelves of the Waitrose store in Ely by thief Daniel Binns. Staff discovered a near empty aisle after Binns visited the city store on the morning of March 25, and CCTV footage showed him sweeping his

MORE than �1,000 worth of toiletries were swept off the shelves of the Waitrose store in Ely by thief Daniel Binns.

Staff discovered a near empty aisle after Binns visited the city store on the morning of March 25, and CCTV footage showed him sweeping his arm along the shelves, and tipping the stolen goods into a holdall.

A total of �909 worth of toiletries was taken by Binns that morning. Later the same day he returned and stole another �158 worth of goods by the same method, but that time was stopped outside and the police were called.

"He had an ongoing problem with heroin at the time," defending solicitor Nicholas Barnes told Ely magistrates.

"His mother had undergone a triple heart by-pass and then caught MRSA, she was in a pretty dire state. He turned to heroin, which is why the offences were committed. He used heroin as a top up to the prescription he had."

Bins, 25, of Beck Road, Isleham, admitted two charges of theft. Sentencing was adjourned until May 28 for the probation service to write a report on him.