TWO men caught trying to steal scrap metal in Barton Stacey have been ordered to undertake unpaid work as punishment.

Essex men Nicholas Hobbs, 59, of Colson Road, Loughton, and Brian Thomas Saville, 53, of Collard Avenue, Loughton, admitted attempted theft of the metal, value unknown, at the Fortis IBA recycling plant in the A303 Enviro Park on April 21.

The Enviro Park is home to a variety of industries, including those which separate recyclable materials from household waste in order to reuse them.

Police were called to the site on Drayton Road at 10.39pm on Wednesday, April 21, and arrested two men on suspicion of burglary when they caught them breaking into an industrial building on the site.

They were both released on bail at the time.

Appearing before Basingstoke Magistrates' Court on August 19, the same penalty was imposed on both: a community order with the requirement to do 55 hours unpaid work in the next 12 months, a £95 victim surcharge and £85 costs.