A MAN who described himself as a 'modern day Robin Hood' appeared in court for theft after taking a basket of goods from a Lake District branch of Boots before trying to hand them out to passers-by.

Neville Longmire, 59, of no fixed address, attempted to give away items worth £119 as a protest against “big companies paying inadequate taxes.”

Longmire pleaded guilty to theft from a shop but insisted: “I don’t have a moral or ethical problem with what I was doing – I was only helping George Osborne.”

South Cumbria Magistrates Court heard that Longmire entered the store on Market Cross, Ambleside, at around 4pm on February 7.

Lisa Hine, prosecuting, said: “The store called the police after he selected a basket, filled it with items from the shop, walked past the tills and started offering them to members of the public.”

The court heard that all the items were recovered.

When Longmire was interviewed by police he said he “was doing it to help George Osborne collect taxes as he was having trouble doing so.”

The former social worker and engineer admitted he had no money on him to pay for the goods and no intention of paying for them.

Representing himself in court, Longmire said he was still technically on the store’s premises when he tried to give the goods away.

“It wasn’t my intention to leave the premises – it was my intention to share some of Boots’ ill-gotten wealth with the general public,” he said.

“It was a bit of redistribution of wealth – the intention was good and I think I was alright to do what I did, but I know it hasn’t gone down well.”

He insisted it ‘was not for personal gain, adding: “There was no harm in it – I’m not a thief and I wasn’t intending to steal.”

Longmire was handed a conditional discharge by magistrates, with chair of the bench Pam Keegan warning him: “Bearing in mind the general election is only in a few months, we don’t want you to make a habit of this."

Ordering him to pay £85 court costs and a £15 victim surcharge, she added: “Your little venture has been quite expensive.”

Longmire hit Gazette headlines last year when he set up home in a converted library van on the outskirts of Elterwater after falling on hard times.