A man arrested for theft at the gates of a prison where he had just served a sentence for stealing escaped a return behind bars yesterday.

When he left jail on April 18, David Noble found police waiting to arrest him for shoplifting in Ripon and Knaresborough. They bailed him to appear before Harrogate magistrates the following day, but he failed to turn up.

Noble, 37, who had been arrested on a warrant and kept in police cells overnight, pleaded guilty to two counts of theft and one of failing to surrender to his bail. He was given a 12-month community rehabilitation sentence.

Shabbir Merali, prosecuting, said Noble, of Kirkston Place, Newton Aycliffe, had been spotted in the Safeway store in Ripon with another man last December.

The manager followed when they left by car and called police to a pub in the city after seeing Noble go in. Officers found 13 bottles of whisky worth a total of £164.97 in the car.

On January 16, Noble and another man took nine bottles of spirits, with a value of £146.31, from a Yorkshire Co-op store in Knaresborough.

In mitigation, Richard Buchanan said Noble was trying to start a new life after a divorce and wanted to spend more time with his children, aged eight and ten.

He had been arrested as he left prison for offences he could have taken into consideration when he received his jail sentence in February. Because he had been inside, he had not had the money to get to court the next day.

While in prison, and since his release, he had overcome a seven-year heroin habit and was actively trying to get work.

"He had really reached the bottom, but has started to climb again," said Mr Buchanan.

"He wants to put his past behind him.