A thief who broke into a waste recycling centre office and stole hundreds of pounds of goods was recognised on CCTV because he has only one leg.

David Phillips, 46, was seen ransacking the office and hopping away from the scene on crutches and was instantly recognised by police officers.

Yesterday, at Perth Sheriff Court, Phillips was jailed for 30 months and was also ordered to complete a further 375 days of an unexpired sentence.

Phillips, who has committed a string of housebreakings since 1983 - when he had two legs - admitted breaking into the Viridor Waste Management office in Perth on 6 January.

Fiscal depute Stuart Richardson said the footage showed an unknown second man was carrying most of the items out of the office because Phillips walks with the aid of crutches.

He said the items stolen were valued at £500 and damage to the same value was caused during the break-in.

Sheriff Michael Fletcher told Phillips he had "an unenviable record" and noted that he had been a prolific housebreaker on a regular basis for the past 30 years.