A MAN stole copper from the roof of a supermarket before walking off with it in a shopping trolley.

Kane Lucas Liam Durham, 23, of Coleridge Gardens, Darlington, admitted climbing on to the multi-storey car park of Sainsbury’s, in Victoria Road, and making off with a bale of cabling on August 18.

He pleaded guilty to theft when he appeared at Darlington Magistrates’ Court.

Alan Davidson, prosecuting, said Durham climbed on to scaffolding used during construction of the car park and stole cabling waiting to be used for the installation of solar panels.

Mr Davidson said: “The defendant used a saw to cut off the copper cabling and made his escape using a shopping trolley. The cabling was stripped of its plastic casing and stored in the defendant’s shed.”

The court heard Durham took the copper to a scrapyard and sold it for £500, shortly before police arrived at his house and found the discarded casing in his garden.

Sonny Lawson, mitigating, said the offence was not pre-planned and that Durham “simply came across the cable”.

He added: “There was no damage done to the building in taking the cable, it was still on the drum.”

Magistrates ordered Durham to complete 120 hours of unpaid work and pay compensation of £250 to Renewable Resources Ltd, which was the contractor carrying out the installation of the solar panels.

He must also pay £85 costs and a £60 victim surcharge.