A TEENAGER who repeatedly stole shoes to fund his heroin habit has been given five months to get his life back on track.

Magistrates deferred Christopher Smith's sentencing until next April after hearing of his commitment to a three-week live-in detoxification course starting in the next month.

The 19-year-old, who has been on a downward spiral since he was 14, appeared before Droitwich magistrates after breaching a conditional discharge imposed in June.

He immediately confessed to stealing two pairs of trainers from Matalan in Malvern after being caught by police in Malvern Retail Park on Tuesday, October 12.

The £35-a-pair shoes were found undamaged in McDonald's toilets.

"He admitted going to the store with the intention of stealing shoes to fund his drug habit," said John Bennett, prosecuting.

Two previous charges of stealing shoes from Brantano in Roman Way, Malvern, and a Dyson vacuum cleaner from Woolworths in Worcester were reactivated because of the breach.

"On February 6, the police were called to Brantano after two ladies stole goods from the shop, said Mr Bennett.

"The pair were found with the defendant at a bus stop in Worcester Road with a pushchair filled with shopping bags and goods from the store."

"All three said they found them in woodland."

On May 30, it was brought to a Woolworth's store detective's attention that two men had just stolen a £249.99 Dyson cleaner.

"They were heard saying how easy the theft had been," said Mr Bennett.

Smith, of Rydal Close, Warndon, Worcester, was also placed on a drug treatment and testing order in March.

Barry Newton, defending, said Smith's reports had been extremely positive and he was already enrolled on the residential detoxification programme in North Somerset.

"It's an all too typical sad story," said Mr Newton. "He has been offending since he was around 14 and there should have been intervention at the earliest point.

"This is his first and only chance to go through this programme as only those with the means can put themselves through it."

Magistrates deferred sentencing until April 5, to give him the chance to "kick the habit" and stop offending.