A 36-YEAR-old man with a history of drug abuse stole a poppy collection tin.

Robert Fearn of Weston Road, Gloucester pleaded guilty to theft at Herefordshire Magistrates' Court.

The court heard on November 8 he put £7-worth of petrol in his car at a service station in Ross-on-Wye.

When he went in to pay for it he took a poppy charity tin which was raising money for the Royal British Legion off the counter while the shop assistant was looking the other way, which was shown on CCTV.

He put the tin down his trousers and walked out of the shop. He said there was £30 in the tin which he spent on more petrol at another garage.

Emma Prosser, defending, said Fearn was ashamed of his behaviour and wanted to pay the money back.

She said he had a number of previous convictions from a history of a heroin addiction, which had cost him his marriage last year.

She said on this particular day he had been to see a family member in Ross and did not have enough money to pay for petrol on the way home.

Dan Barratt, from the probation service, said Fearn was subject to a six month drug rehabilitation requirement and 20 days rehabilitation activity requirement and a further 35 days on another order.

He said he was doing well on the programme and is providing negative drug tests every week.

Magistrates gave him a conditional discharge for 12 months and ordered him to pay £30 compensation to the RBL and a victim surcharge of £20.