A MAN who scammed a bargain shop in a fake refund bid has been ordered to do unpaid work.

Alexander Simmonds entered the B&M store in Abingdon on September 21 last year.

The 24-year-old of Brandon Close, Kidlington, then went to falsely claim he had bought curtains from inside the store in order to gain a refund, court documents show.

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The two sets of curtains were valued at £99.98 and it was said that he presented them to staff as previously purchased goods and that he did not have a receipt.

This was done in order to get a credit note for future purchases.

He was sentenced for one count of fraud by false representation at Oxford Magistrates’ Court on September 30 this year.

Simmonds was made subject to a community order.

As part of that order he must complete 15 rehabilitation activity requirement days and perform 100 hours of unpaid work.

Those hours were ordered to be completed within the next 12 months and will be supervised by a responsible officer.

He must also pay a statutory victim surcharge of £90 as well as a court costs totalling £85.