ELY: Teenager Dumps Number Plates Down A Drain After Stealing Petrol

TEENAGE thief Ben Price was caught dumping a pair of vehicle number plates in a drain after driving away from a petrol station without paying for diesel. Earlier in the day Price had stolen a set of plates from a car parked in the Tesco store car park in

TEENAGE thief Ben Price was caught dumping a pair of vehicle number plates in a drain after driving away from a petrol station without paying for diesel.

Earlier in the day Price had stolen a set of plates from a car parked in the Tesco store car park in Ely, city magistrates heard on Thursday.

Price, 19, of Hale Fen, Littleport, admitted stealing number plates and failing to pay for �31.10 worth of fuel from the Tesco filling station the same day on January 5.

He also admitted stealing a set of number plates from another car parked at Tesco on December 27, and stealing a basket of groceries from the BP garage in Ely on March 29.

Prosecutor Laura Mardell told the court how Price was spotted by someone working at the business park near Tesco on January 5.

"He saw Price remove number plates from a van and place both plates down a nearby drain," she said. "The number plates were recovered, and forensic science officers retrieved a finger print from a plate, that matched the defendant."

On March 29 Price paid for �5 worth of fuel from the BP garage in Ely, and then walked out of the store with a basket full of stolen items.

The teenager later handed himself in to police, and admitted the offences.

Representing himself in court, unemployed Price apologised for his behaviour.

He was ordered to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work, to run concurrently with his current 100-hour work order, and he must pay a total of �99.89 compensation and �60 costs.