RECOVERING drug addict Andrew Bloxsome escaped jail after admitting handling more than £1,000 of goods stolen from a Chippenham home.

Bloxsome, 19, claimed to have found the haul, which included jewellery, DVDs and a TV, in a bush. He then gave most of the property to a female friend, but kept some back, planning to sell it on.

Bloxsome was given an 18-month conditional discharge when he appeared before Chippenham magistrates on Monday. But he was told he had only avoided harsher punishment as he was already living at a drug rehabilitation centre.

Nicola Wootton, prosecuting, said police had found Bloxsome on September 27 with £1,150 of goods that had been stolen from a home in Rowden Road earlier that day. Following the burglary police searched two homes in Chippenham and in one of them caught Bloxsome with some of the stolen items.

Miss Wootton said: "The defendant said he found a lot of the jewellery in a bush. He accepted he had given some of the jewellery to the lady and kept some to sell."

Tim Hammick, defending, said his client's drug problems had seen him living at The Amber Foundation, in Marlborough, since December.

He said: "He was on his way home and stopped to relieve himself in some bushes. He found a lot of property there and knows he shouldn't have given it away.

"He is described as being a key member of the team at Amber and being helpful and polite."

Bloxsome was also ordered to pay £350 compensation and £50 costs.