A 67-YEAR-OLD thief has pleaded guilty to stealing alcohol from the Scottish Seabird Centre, North Berwick.

James Mitchell, of the town’s Lauder Rambling, stole a quantity of alcohol from the centre on two occasions in October.

He admitted the two offences at Edinburgh Sheriff Court last month and at the time was remanded in custody by Sheriff Stirling.

Mitchell had also admitted an offence of breaking a court-imposed curfew by being outwith his home address between 7pm and 7am on November 25.

Mitchell also failed to answer the door of his North Berwick home to police when officers attended at his address on the same date.

He appeared in front of Sheriff Stirling two days later and was remanded in custody.

He returned to the dock last Wednesday where the sheriff allowed him to be released to test his ability to stay out of trouble over the festive period.

Sentence was deferred to January 22 next year for background reports to be prepared.

Mitchell pleaded guilty to stealing alcohol from the Scottish Seabird Centre in North Berwick on October 16 and 18.

He also admitted breaching a curfew on November 25 and an offence of failing to answer his door to police officers on the same date.