An “opportunistic” thief who spotted an expensive bike outside a charity shop decided to ride off on it while the owner was inside the store.

Lee Darling, 49, was caught on CCTV footage from Cancer Research UK’s Ashford branch stealing the black and blue cycle, worth £1,200.

He made off with the bike on March 9. Then, on April 27, he walked into a BP garage in Hythe, took a protein bar worth £1.85 from the shelves, put it in his pocket and left without paying.

Again, Darling was identified on CCTV and was charged with shoplifting and theft of the bike.

He admitted both offences when he appeared at Folkestone Magistrates’ Court on September 14.

District Judge Justin Barron was told Darling, of Blackwall Road, Ashford, had previous convictions for theft dating back from 2007 to 2020.

Mathew Howell, prosecuting, said: “The cycle was taken from outside the Cancer Research shop and CCTV shows him riding off on it.

“And when he took the protein bar and put that in his pocket, that was caught on CCTV too.”

The court heard Darling had not been in court for some time and had a drug problem.

Judge Barron told the thief he had a poor record, but accepted he had not been in trouble for a while.

Darling was placed on a 12-month community order which will see him complete 140 hours of unpaid work.

He was also ordered to pay the bike owner £1,199 in compensation.

Judge Barron said: “It was opportunistic – jumping on the bike and riding off on it – but you left the owner more than £1,000 out of pocket.”