A COCAINE addled cucumber thief was caught stealing twice in ten minutes from the same supermarket.

Carol Clayton filled her trolley with shopping and left without paying but she forgot a couple of items on her stealing list and popped back in for two pieces of chicken and a cucumber.

Colette Harper, prosecuting, told the court it was lunchtime on Sunday, June 19, when the 57-year-old from Ratcliffe Court, Colchester, visited Tesco in Highwoods.

She went around the store filling her shopping trolley with goods, worth just over £30.

Clayton then left the store, missing out on the payment part of the transaction and handed over the goods to her sister, who loaded them in her car not knowing they had not been paid for.

Clayton then returned to the shop for the items she forgot to steal and this time was stopped by shop security when she tried to leave with another £16.77 in goods.

After her arrest Clayton tested positive for cocaine at Colchester Police Station.

Clayton claimed she had no choice but to steal because she was desperate.

During the hearing, at Colchester Magistrates' Court yesterday, the court heard Clayton had been reassessed and was deemed no longer suitable for disability living allowance and had not received any benefits since the start of June.

It is claimed Clayton is now being supported by the Foodbank until she gets different benefits at the end of the month.

It was also claimed Clayton's morphine patch caused a false positive result for cocaine at the police station.

And the court was told Clayton, who has 28 convictions including 15 for theft, suffers from agoraphobia - a fear of open spaces.

Clayton was fined £50 and ordered to pay costs and charges of £80.

She is also facing a £181.75 bill from Tesco for costs and charges after the theft of the cucumber and associated shopping.

Chairman of the bench Jacky Froggatt said: "Although you are in something of a mess and a muddle that does not excuse criminal activity.

"Looking at your record you know this is a criminal offence."

Clayton admitted one count of theft, for both sets of shopping.