A 27-year-old man has been ordered to compensate a retailer after stealing more than £100 worth of alcohol from a supermarket in St Ives.

Stephen Bulloch pleaded guilty through his solicitor, Julian Hopley, to stealing bottles of champagne from the outlet of Marks and Spencer in the BP garage, in Needingworth Road, on March 18.

Paul Brown, prosecuting, said: “This is theft of champagne that he had taken to buy drugs. The aggravating feature here is that he did jump on his bike and cycle away with the champagne.”

The case, held at Cambridge Magistrates’ Court, heard Bulloch had stolen three bottles of champagne from the petrol station, totalling £105 – with the bottles not recovered by police.

“He was put in prison [following this] for being in breach of suspended sentence which was activated on April 6,” Mr Brown added.

Bulloch, of Tay Close, St Ives, was not present at the hearing and is currently serving a 12-week sentence for a separate charge of theft.

In mitigation, Mr Hopley said Bulloch had made full and frank admissions to stealing the alcohol when interviewed by police.

He repeated that Bulloch had stolen the champagne to sell, and used the money to buy drugs.

Amanda Ross, chairman of the bench, said: “On the basis that Mr Bulloch is a serving prisoner we order that he pay Marks and Spencer £105 on his release.”