A homeless drug addict stole a charity box – so he could go back to prison.

James Garner, 34, was arrested after stealing the British Heart Foundation charity box from a Subway sandwich restaurant in Marlborough Street.

Garner, who has a string of 59 convictions to his name – 26 for theft – had only been released from prison four weeks before.

He had been let out on licence after serving almost half of a two-year term for burglary.

At Bristol Magistrates Court he pleaded guilty to theft.

Prosecuting, Kirsty Allman said: "He spoke to the assistant manager and told him he didn't know what he wanted.

"The manager went into the kitchen, returned 20 seconds later and he was gone."

A member of the public asked if the charity box was missing and when the assistant manager ran outside, two people pointed to Charles Street.

He saw Garner sitting in a driveway with the box, going through the coins.

He shouted at him, and Garner ran back past Subway and threw the box on the floor.

The assistant manager chased him into Montague Street and Dighton Street, before he ran into Montague Court. Police then arrived and arrested him.

After walking out of his interview, Garner told officers he didn't remember stealing the charity box, but said he saw it on the floor in the street.

He was also found to have £8.72 on him – money he had taken from the box.

Defending, Judy Hampton said: "There is nothing much to say about the offence, other than that he wanted to go back into custody.

"He is a man with a long-standing drug addiction. He has been at Ashley House Bail Hostel, but is not happy there, and would rather be in custody."

Presiding magistrate Jenny Le Vaillant ordered Garner back to prison to serve the remaining 10 months of his original custodial term.

She also sentenced him to a further four weeks for the theft of the charity box, which has since been replaced in the Marlborough Street store with a box that is chained to the counter.