An Edinburgh man has been jailed for three months after breaking into an unmanned police station and helping himself to a mixture of Ravioli, Weetabix and milk which he heated in a saucepan.

Officers went to investigate the an alarm going off at Oxgangs Police Station in Edinburgh and found 38-year-old Lynton Frazer, who told them he was hungry, in the kitchen.

Frazer had previously admitted breaking into the same station in August 2013 and stealing food and milk.

He was sentenced to three months in jail at Edinburgh Sheriff Court today.

Defence solicitor, John Good, told Sheriff Frank Crowe his client had an unwillingness to address his mental health difficulties and the use of legal highs.

He said: "Through exasperation he often says 'I am going to jail'. He sees this as some sort of short term treatment".

Frazer, he added, had only six previous convictions, the last being seven or eight years ago. He had also been the subject of four hospital orders.

Mr Good said he had thought a Community Payback Order under supervision might show what could be done for his client, but the reports did not hold out much hope of his motivation to do that.

"His life is just so chaotic" he added.

Sheriff Crowe said Frazer had said the aim of the break-in was to get arrested.

Mr Good said his client went through periods of offending because of his concentrated use of legal highs and that attracted the attention of the police, but he added: "It is clear he does not want to go to prison".

Jailing Frazer, Sheriff Crowe said it had been a "very troubling case". "All options have been considered in the Social Work report, including deferring sentence in the hope something would work" he said, but added: "I am not satisfied this is an option for the court". "The only answer is a prison sentence. Under that regime you can be seen by a psychiatrist and have medication. There is no other method in my view of dealing with this case".