A Haverfordwest man failed to make a clean get-away when he stole a Hoover to fund a heroin purchase.

Stuart John Burgess, of Scotchwell View, appeared before Haverfordwest magistrates on Tuesday, February 11, to plead guilty to theft from a shop.

Vaughan Pritchard-Jones, prosecuting, said Burgess, 42, entered Lidl Stores, Haverfordwest, with a group on October 24.

“The defendant was seen acting suspiciously and was then seen rushing towards the exit.”

A store employee chased after him and checked his bag.

No items were found, but CCTV revealed that at Candy Cordless Hoover worth £79.99 had been stolen after an empty box was discovered abandoned in an aisle.

Mr Pritchard-Jones added: “The defendant eventually admitted in interview that he had taken the hoover. It is not quite understood how he got it out of the store.”

Burgess told police he had planned to sell the vacuum to sell in order to buy heroin.

Tom Lloyd, defending, said issues which had affected Burgess at the time of offence had now been addressed.

Magistrates fined Burgess £120 and ordered him to pay £79.99 compensation to the store, £85 costs and a £32 surcharge.

The chairman of the bench said: “The planning involved was an aggravating factor.”