A MAN who admitted stealing Lego from a Redditch department store has been sent to jail.

21-year-old Baden Robinson was caught on CCTV with another man taking 15 boxes of Lego worth £270 from the shelves in the toy department of Debenham's in the Kingfisher Centre, Worcester Crown Court was told.

They put the boxes in a bag and hid them under a jacket and left the store, Ian Ball, prosecuting, told the court.

Security staff reviewed CCTV after the theft at around 3pm on July 3 this year and recognised Robinson, who had a previous record for theft.

Police caught him a short time later in the town centre and he had already sold the Lego for £50, Mr Ball said.

The other man was given a suspended four week jail sentence by magistrates but Robinson was sent on to crown court because he was in breach of a nine month suspended sentence imposed in March for a series of thefts from cars.

He had failed to keep up with an unpaid work requirement and had also missed appointments with the probation service, the court heard.

Julia Powell, defending, said Robinson had lost his job and "had absolutely no money whatsoever".

"On the spur of the moment, he decided to steal the Lego," she told the court.

She said Robinson, who pleaded guilty to theft, now wanted to move forward with his life.

He had increased contact with his young child and would be able to move back in with his mother in Mount Pleasant, Redditch.

Recorder Denis Desmond said Robinson had been warned the suspended sentence would be activated.

"You have ignored your chances," he told him.

He was given four weeks for theft and 24 weeks for breaching the suspended sentence, a total of 28 weeks.