A MAN who had just been refused an emergency bank loan tried to steal four DVDs, a court was told.

Benefit payments due to be made to Andrew Coopey had fallen so far behind he felt he had to steal in order to raise funds to buy food and pay his bills.

He admitted a charge of shoplifting when he appeared before Worcester magistrates.

Gemma Goode, prosecuting, said Coopey was caught taking a £24.95 Heroes box set, a £12.95 Spiderman DVD, a £19.95 Die Hard DVD, and a £40 Stargate box set from HMV, High Street, Worcester, on Wednesday, January 2.

She said: "He saw the opportunity to steal so he took it. He said he wanted to sell them so he could obtain some money to buy some food," she said.

In mitigation, Jason Patel said 23-year-old Coopey had been 'messed about' with his benefits.

"His benefits had been altered from monthly to weekly to fortnightly and he was two weeks behind," he said.

Mr Patel said his client, who lives in Windermere Drive, Warndon, Worcester, was now receiving benefits regularly.

Magistrates sentenced Coopey to an 18-month conditional discharge and ordered him to pay £60 court costs.