A 43-year-old man from Huntingdon has been handed an extended community order after pleading guilty to two counts of theft.

Anthony McClear, of Ashton Gardens, was charged with stealing a bicycle from Godmanchester on July 3, before taking two bottles of spirits from a shop in Huntingdon in August.

The bicycle – valued at £80 - had been secured with a cable locked through the frame and the rear wheel, Cambridge Magistrates’ Court heard on October 25, but the victim only discovered it was gone around 12pm the next day.

Deciding to carry out a check in the Huntingdon branch of Cash Converters, the victim found the bike on sale for £59 in the front window before telling staff it was stolen and asking for McClear’s details.

The defendant was also caught on August 9 stealing two bottles of spirits from Waitrose, Paul Brown, prosecuting, told the court.

Captured on CCTV, McClear was seen putting the bottles - worth £39.40 - into a carrier bag before leaving the store.

Mr Brown said: “In regard to the bike theft, he said he was quite drunk at the time and gutted for his actions and is sorry. In regard to the alcohol theft, he fully admitted having seen the footage and was embarrassed by his actions.”

In defence, David Potter told the court that McClear had been “complying well” with a current community order and that he is “doing what is asked of him”.

He added that McClear said he stole the bicycle in the “spur of the moment”, and that he had run out of money and needed alcohol when he took the spirits.

McClear was ordered to pay a £85 court charge, £85 victim surcharge, £30 in compensation to Cash Converters for the sale of the bicycle, and £39.40 to Waitrose.

Philip Peacock, chairman of the bench added: “For the theft of the pedal cycle we have taken into account your early guilty plea and will extend your community order by six months which will take it to October 2017.”

The bench also handed McClear five additional rehabilitation requirement days.