A MAN who was found in a skip was searching for a television aerial, a court has heard.

Nicholas Stephen Jenkins, of no fixed address, admitted entering a locked premises for the purpose of stealing items for his own use when he appeared before magistrates in Hereford on March 18.

Prosecutor Shafquat Reaz said 40-year-old Jenkins had been found inside an enclosed and locked yard on Station Street in Ross-on-Wye in the early hours of the morning on February 27.

“He had no lawful reason to be there, and was found after he had been seen on CCTV,” Mr Reaz said.

“Police were called to the depot, and found him inside a locked area.

"They conducted a search, and found a torch and batteries near where he was detained.”

Marilena Di Vitantonio, for Jenkins, said he had been arrested after the attending officers had found him searching in a skip after he had entered the yard to look for a television aerial.

“He is technically homeless, but he is living with some others in a bus at the moment,” Miss Di Vitantonio said.

“He had gone into the yard to try and find an aerial so they could watch television on the bus.

"He said the torch had been in his possession, and he had found the batteries in the skip.”

The court heard Jenkins was in breach of a 12 month conditional discharge imposed in 2019.

Jenkins was handed an 18-month conditional discharge.

He was ordered to pay costs of £50 and a £21 victim surcharge.