A TEENAGE shop worker supplemented his pay by stealing from his employers, a court heard yesterday.

Mathew Walker, 18, pleaded guilty to theft from the Mills store, in Knaresborough Road, Harrogate, between July last year and May.

Geoffrey Rogers, in mitigation, said Walker, of Kennion Road, Harrogate, could not explain why he had blemished his good character, but denied the firm's contention he had taken £2,607.80.

He said all employees had a personal number for transactions, and that Walker had paid a customer's cash in and told the till there had been a no-sale. This opened the till for a refund, which he kept.

Mr Rogers said: "He got away with it and decided to try it again and it snowballed.

"After a couple of times, he realised how easy it was and he continued. It was always small amounts, but on a regular basis." He said Walker was adamant he took no more than £800.

Mark Haigh, prosecuting, said a Mills security official found refunds and no-sales totalling £2,607.80 against Walker's number.

The court heard that Walker told the company he had stolen almost every other day.

Walker was ordered to pay £70 costs, with no order for compensation in the absence of strong evidence on the amount taken.

The company could make a civil claim for compensation..