A SHOPLIFTER walked into a supermarket twice in two days to swipe steaks and vodka, a court heard.

Albert James William France went in the Co-op supermarket in Dalton and took the meat and spirits but both times paid for a bottle of milk.

The 45-year-old pleaded guilty to stealing the products when he appeared at South Cumbria Magistrates’ Court.

The court heard he stole products to pay off a debt.

The Barrow man was said to have stolen £130 pounds of items from the Market Street shop on January 10 and 11.

Magistrates were told the man was arrested when he returned to the store again on January 11 after staff called the police.

Prosecutor Diane Jackson told the court: “CCTV from the store showed him going straight to the meat section before taking the spirit, paying for some milk and leaving the store.

“In an interview with police he said: ‘I’ll be honest I’ve taken the meat and the vodka. I took it for a friend because I owe him money'.”

Trystan Roberts, defending, said: “He regrets his involvement with these offences

“This is not the work of a criminal genius, it’s relatively low culpability.

“He has accrued some debts that are sometimes the subject of some very forceful reminders.

“He felt intimidated.”

He added: “It’s a large chain and a multi-store business.”

France, of Egerton Court, was sentenced to a community order.

He will be forced to stay at his home between the hours of 6pm and 6am for the next six weeks.

The defendant was also ordered to pay £130 in compensation to the Co-op.

Sentencing him, chair of the bench Steve Sims said : “The bench feels like there was a degree of planning to this.”

Before his appearance in court, France was banned from entering any of the Co-op stores in Barrow and Dalton under his bail conditions.