A MAN with a history of substance misuse who admitted stealing nearly £1,000 worth of goods from a number of Kendal shops was sentenced yesterday.

South Cumbria Magistrates' Court heard how Scott Barcroft, 41, of Farleton View, Holme, committed the first of these offences on June 3, stealing £379 worth of wine and gin from Booths on Wainwright's Yard.

The remaining four incidents took place across a period of two weeks, beginning on September 26 when he took a 'socket set' worth £105 from C.T. Hayton on Sandylands Road.

Then, between September 30 and October 7, he stole hoodies worth a total of £511 from Sports Direct on Sandes Avenue, making off on foot.

Barcroft was spotted and arrested and remains on licence for another, separate offence until January next year.

Diane Jackson, prosecuting, said: "The last three occasions he's gone into the same store and taken the same items in the same manner, so I would say there's some degree of planning there."

In mitigation Chris Evans said: "Unfortunately one of (Barcroft's) friends died prior to the committing of these offences and he relapsed into his drug use."

Mr Evans pointed out the defendant was someone who continued to "struggle with problems with drugs", adding Barcroft was "motivated to get to the heart" of the problem, and had engaged with organisations aiming to improve his situation, such as My Space Housing.

Barcroft was sentenced to a curfew between 7pm and 7am for the next 12 weeks, was ordered to pay back the monetary value of the stolen goods to the retail outlets, and was ordered to undertake 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days.