A PARANOID schizophrenic who pleaded guilty to a spate of thefts has been given a last chance to change his ways by a judge.

Bruce Morgan, district judge, warned Gary Crane, of Malvern, that if he came before magistrates again he would "almost certainly" receive a prison term.

Crane, of Wren Avenue, admitted four store thefts in the town between August 2007 and April this year, at Worcester Magistrates.

Shop CCTV recorded the unemployed 41 year old taking cans of lager, baby milk powder and a 76p bag of sugar in three separate thefts from the One Stop, last year.

When Crane then took four air fresheners from the Co-op, in Worcester Road, he was arrested and later admitted his previous thefts during a police interview, on April 13.

Mark Turnbull, defending, said: "He has been diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic for the last 10 years, has drunk alcohol for the last 10 years and has a heroin problem.

"These are the challenges he is facing."

He explained Crane had been tackling his alcohol problem but following his mother's recent death, in Essex, had begun drinking again.

Mr Turnbull added his client had taken the air fresheners to sell and raise enough money to travel to Essex, to visit his remaining family.

Mr Bruce said: "I'll give you a last opportunity in relation to these offences.

"If you come before the court again for stealing you will almost certainly go to prison."

Crane was given a 60-day sentence suspended for a year, added to an existing suspended term, and received a six-month drug rehabilitation order.