AN 81 year old man stole £165 of cookware from TN Cooks in Skipton while feeling anxious about an approaching hospital appointment, a court heard.

Brian Vince smuggled the two pans out of the Otley Road business on April 28 in a long overcoat, heard Skipton Magistrates Court today (Friday).

His actions were picked up on the store’s CCTV cameras. He left the store and was not challenged, the court heard.

Vince, who admitted theft, had travelled to Skipton from his home in Leeds because he was feeling anxious about an approaching operation and wanted to cheer himself up, the court was told.

He had multiple previous convictions for similar theft offences committed in places including Derbyshire, the Lake District and also in Skipton.

Keith Blackwell, in mitigation, said Vince was in the latter stages of his life and was very remorseful.

He had not been before the courts since 2018, was a single man who lived alone, and on the day had been anxious about an approaching and quite major operation on his stomach.

Mr Blackwell said: “He tried to cheer himself up and ended up in this area. He went into the premises to have a look round and sadly committed this offence.

“It was a very dishonest thing to do. He is annoyed because it has spoiled his record of not offending for some time. He is a man who wants to be taking life much easier and not getting involved in things like this.”

Vince, of Alderton Heights, Moortown, Leeds, was given a two year conditional discharge and warned by magistrates if he offended again in the next two years the Skipton offence could be looked at afresh.

He was also ordered to pay £165 compensation to TN Cook, costs of £85 and a surcharge of £22.