HUNGER drove reforming drug addict Christopher Abbott back to shoplifting twice in two days, a court heard.

Harrogate magistrates were told by Catherine Duffy, prosecuting, that Abbott, 28, walked out of the town's Gap store with a £48 pair of jeans tucked down his trousers last Friday.

He was arrested but within hours of being bailed by police he was spotted on closed-circuit television in Asda putting 14 packs of razor blades, worth £99.96, inside his jacket.

Abbott, of Strawberry Dale, Harrogate, who pleaded guilty to two counts of theft, told police he had not eaten for three days when he went into Gap. He had hoped to sell the jeans for £10 so he could buy food.

He claimed he was still hungry when he went into Asda for the blades he knew he could sell to a friend.

Abbott's solicitor, Clive Farndon, said he normally stole to feed a drugs habit but since being made subject to a drug treatment and testing order in February he had responded positively.

The probation service said he was well motivated and his use of illicit drugs was decreasing, but he had got into financial difficulties and after being pressed to repay a debt had no money left for food. So rather than stealing to feed his habit he did it to feed himself.

Abbott was given a 12-month conditional discharge and fined him £25 for breaching an earlier discharge, plus costs of £25.