A MAN who admitted posing as a charity collector has been given a 12 month community order with a requirement to do 120 hours unpaid work.

Daniel John Pearce, aged 22, of Fleet Street in Beaminster, had appeared before Weymouth Magistrates Court on a previous occasion and pleaded guilty to two offences.

The first offence was that between December 1 and 31 at Salwayash he committed fraud by dishonestly making a false representation, namely that he was to take part in a sponsored walk in aid of a cancer charity on behalf of the Air Training Corps, intending to make a gain for himself.

The second offence admitted was that between December 1 and 31 at Broadwindsor he committed fraud by dishonestly making a false representation, namely that he was to do a sponsored walk in aid of a cancer charity on behalf of the cadets, intending to make a gain for himself.

Magistrates heard that Pearce had also admitted other fraud offences.

The magistrates gave Pearce a 12 month community order with the requirements that he must attend a drug rehabilitation programme for six months and that he had to do 120 hours unpaid work in the community.

Pearce was also told to pay compensation to the five victims of the fraud which totalled £31.