A THIEF who stole two bikes worth £4,000 from a Welshpool company has had the curfew element of his court order removed – because he lives in a caravan with wheels.

Steven Henry Loveridge was handed a 12-month community order, including rehabilitation days and a requirement to abide by a daily curfew between 7pm-6am for 2 months, when he was sentenced several weeks ago.

But, the 48-year-old was again before Welshpool Magistrates’ Court this week to amend the order, all because he lives in a touring caravan, not a static one.

Probation officer Julian Davies told the hearing, on Tuesday, April 4, that the order had to be adjusted as it was deemed unworkable by the company that arrived at Loveridge’s address to fit him with his tag – due to fact the caravan in which he lives has wheels.

The company has said it is not able to fit monitoring equipment in a touring caravan.

READ MORE: Scrap metal collector stole road bikes worth £4000 in Powys

“Mr Loveridge informed the court on the previous occasion he resided in a static caravan and had been fitted with a tag before, but it’s a touring caravan and he lives on a gypsy traveller site, so the company have said it’s not suitable as he has to go outside the caravan to use the toilet,” said Mr Davies.

He also said Loveridge is deemed unfit for unpaid work.

Patrick Curry, representing Loveridge, of Noose Lane, Willenhall, near Walsall, said: “He phoned me after being sentenced, informing me the tagging people had been; he tried to explain that he’d previously been tagged to that caravan.

“We made notice to the court. Although the caravan is static, it has two wheels attached, so the tagging firm takes the view that the wheels can be lowered and it can be moved.

“I advised the defendant to comply with the curfew and we’d wait for the court to resolve the issue.

“He’s complied with curfew so far and I would ask you to amend the order to a doorstep curfew, so if police wish to turn up to ensure he’s complying with it, they can."

County Times:

Magistrates said they would leave the order in place, without electronic monitoring. Chairman of the bench, Stephen Pembroke, said: “This is absolutely ludicrous and I would ask our legal advisor to refer the issue back to the electronic tagging company.”

Loveridge stole two boxes containing Raleigh bikes from the Speed Transport Logistics depot near Welshpool on February 6, having travelled over an hour from his home to look for scrap metal at a nearby quarry.

He didn’t even look inside the boxes to check what he was stealing – but they turned out to be Raleigh Lapierre Crosshill 5.0 road bikes, worth £2,000 each.