A MAN who travelled down from Scotland to be with his partner in Settle on Valentine's Day stole various items from parked cars, heard magistrates.

Grant Brown, 36, was spotted in the early hours of February 15 leaning into a van parked in a driveway of Mill Close and pushing a wheelie bin, heard the Skipton court.

The man who saw him, who was on his way to a newsagent, was suspicious and called the police.

An officer arrived shortly afterwards and arrested Brown, who was still pushing the wheelie bin containing camping equipment, power tools, a wallet, mobile phone and a bank letter.

All the items were recovered and returned to their rightful owners, although one stated damage had been caused and not all items returned, said prosecutor, Martin Butterworth.

Brown, who admitted three charges of theft, remembered little of the incident because of a long time reliance on Class A drugs, the court heard.

But since the incident, he had given up drugs, was now on a Class A substitute and was attempting to turn his life around.

Magistrates handed brown, of Old School Crescent, Mayfield, Dalkeith, Midlothian, a 12 month conditional discharge. He was also ordered to pay £100 compensation, costs of £85 and surcharge of £15.