A MAN who "fixed old things" as a therapy for his illness was caught stealing from a Barnoldswick recycling site.

Blackburn magistrates heard among the items Peter Templar stole from the tip were a lawn mower, some golf clubs and electrical items.

Templar, 45, of Yorkshire Street, Colne, pleaded guilty to theft of property belonging to Lancashire County Council.

He was given a conditional discharge for 12 months and ordered to pay £85 costs and £20 victim surcharge.

Catherine Allan, prosecuting, said Templar was seen acting suspiciously near the centre at 9.15 pm, after it had closed.

"The police stopped him and he accepted going into the recycling centre and helping himself," said Miss Allan. "He said he thought the thigs he took were rubbish and he was going to fix what was broken."

Aftab Bakhat, defending, said his client had been diagnosed with bi-polar and was injected with medication on a weekly basis.

"One of the ways he deals with his anxiety is getting hold of old, broken items and fixing them," said Mr Bakhat. "He knows what he did was wrong."