A DERELICT warehouse in Portland gained a reputation similar to the MSC Napoli as a place for opportunists to scavenge materials to sell on, a court was told.

However, people entering the premises to strip the place of wire and other materials were trespassing and committing criminal offences.

Scott Craig Risebro, 33, of Reforne, Portland, pleaded guilty to burglary with intent to steal from a warehouse belonging to Stone Firms Limited.

Elizabeth Valera, prosecuting, told the court that the warehouse was no longer in use and the last of the offices in the building were cleared out on May 25 as the company had moved premises.

On May 28 it was reported that the building had been entered and copper wires had been stripped and removed.

The following day police were alerted to two men with hacksaws going into the site.

They arrived to find Risebro and Kevin Andrew Gledhill in the warehouse.

Both admitted entering the building with the intent of taking wire to sell on.

Miss Valera said: "They claimed other people had done the same thing and they had been told by them it was an empty warehouse.

"Mr Risebro stated he intended to take only enough to get £10 to buy a bag of heroin."

Tim Shorter, mitigating on behalf of Risebro, said that it was the first time the pair had entered the building and there was no evidence suggesting they had anything to do with the materials missing on May 28.

He added that they had been attracted to the warehouse after hearing that it was an easy opportunity to make money.

"It had attracted something of a reputation at one stage enjoyed by the Napoli," said Mr Shorter.

"While Mr Risebro was in the police station he was told by police officers that a number of other people had been arrested in the premises."

Mr Shorter said that Risebro and Gledhill did not have to force entry but simply walked through a large hole at the rear of the property.

He added that Risebro was a recovering heroin addict who had recently suffered a relapse.

Risebro suffered the same fate as his partner in crime, who had been sentenced at an earlier hearing.

He was given a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £60 costs.