A sweet-toothed thief who walked into a garage and stole cakes and chocolate bars even took the shopping basket with him when he fled.

Alan Main went into the Co-op petrol station in Watling Street, Strood, picked up a basket and filled it with £36.45 of sweet items and left without paying.

The 40-year-old took the basket with him and was followed by a member of staff.

However, she lost sight of Main but found the basket dumped at a nearby bus stop.

The theft happened on October 28 last year and was reported to police.

He was identified via CCTV footage and was asked to attend a voluntary interview with police on November 13 when he admitted the offence.

Main, of London Road, Strood, was charged and admitted shoplifting when he appeared before magistrates in Medway on February 1.

The court heard by committing the offence he was in breach of a community order he had been given in August last year for another offence of battery.

Main was also previously jailed in 2019 for trying to sell an illegal Taser-type weapon on Facebook in exchange for drugs.

He was locked up for possessing the illegal weapon and intending to sell it and was given a three-year sentence.

The court also heard Main was on Universal Credit and claimed to have taken the items to feed his children.

Magistrates fined him £120 and also re-sentenced him over the battery matter and fined him £120 for that offence too.

Main was also ordered to pay the Co-op £36.45 compensation, a victim surcharge of £48 and £85 costs.