THIEF Ian Fenn was caught red-handed as he helped himself to diesel from a lorry yard in Fordham in the early hours of the morning. He was seen struggling to carry a plastic drum of fuel back to his car parked near the British Legion Club, and then took t

THIEF Ian Fenn was caught red-handed as he helped himself to diesel from a lorry yard in Fordham in the early hours of the morning.

He was seen struggling to carry a plastic drum of fuel back to his car parked near the British Legion Club, and then took three more drums into the Church Street premises.

"The yard owner found Fenn behind a lorry, and he was arrested," prosecutor Angela Sassoli told Ely magistrates on Thursday. "He admitted he had stolen the diesel. He said he had borrowed a car and went to Fordham with the intention of stealing diesel. He had not meant to steal it from the lorry yard, but came upon it by chance. He intended to sell the fuel to fund his drug habit."

Fenn, 24, of Barway Road, Barway, admitted to police he had no licence or insurance to drive the Ford vehicle he had parked in the village.

At an earlier hearing, Fenn had admitted stealing £200-worth of diesel from Richard Stebbeds on September 29, and driving the car without documents.

Fenn told the court he has a prescription for the heroin substitute methadone, and is working with the community drugs intervention scheme.

He was given a community order with 12 months supervision and 40 hours of unpaid work. He was ordered to pay £100 costs and six points were endorsed on his driving licence.