A BOOZED-UP crook who drank 14 pints of cheap alcohol a day walked free from court after a judge heard that he is seeking help for his problem.

Mark Campbell, 37, was caught with a stolen fridge-freezer, a carpet cleaner and a bike at his home after three thefts in Hartlepool last summer.

Campbell claimed he was not involved in the burglary during which the huge fridge was stolen - but was caught wheeling it away with another man.

He admitted handling stolen goods, and also pleaded guilty to handling the stolen carpet cleaner and the theft of the bike in early June last year.

Judge Simon Bourne-Arton, QC, imposed a two-year community order with supervision and a four-month night-time curfew with electronic tag.

The judge told Campbell, of Dent Street, Hartlepool: "If you breach that order, you will be brought back before me and I will lock you up."

Teesside Crown Court heard how Campbell and another man were caught on camera - and by a neighbour - taking away the fridge on a trolley.

The drink and drug abuser told the passer-by that he was a workman who had been asked to help with the removal of property.

Later, when police had been alerted, they found the fridge-freezer and the carpet cleaner - stolen from a car - at Campbell's home.

The bike, which was taken from outside a shop in the town's Burbank Street, had been stolen to sell for scrap for booze money.

David Lamb, mitigating, said unemployed Campbell had "seemed to got his act together" in tackling his drug and alcohol misuse.

Judge Bourne-Arton spared Campbell prison after telling him: "Your probation officer seems to think you are turning a corner.

"I hope that is right . . . I am not going to interfere with that . . ."

In his interview after his arrest, Campbell told police he hoped to get £10 for the fridge and £5 for the carpet cleaner to spend on drink.

He admitted swiping the bike and said he had problems with drink and drugs and downed up to eight litres of cheap booze a day.