A former Unipart worker who stole £3,700 worth of car parts from his employer told police "everyone was doing it", a court heard.

Bertram Beer escaped a jail sentence after stealing the car parts to help him rebuild his ageing Rover cars.

Beer, 57, of Lower End, Great Milton, pleaded guilty to pinching the car parts from his Cowley-based employer over a period of five years.

Security staff at the factory where he worked as a quality service inspector suspected he was stealing parts and began a surveillance operation last February.

Oxford Crown Court heard that security staff approached father-of-two Beer on March 28 and discovered a bagful of parts in his locked workbench.

Hefin Rees, prosecuting, said Beer admitted planning to take the parts home and agreed to allow security staff to search his home.

Security staff found 345 separate items, worth £3,707. Beer was sacked and the case was referred to the police. Tony McGeorge, defending, said Beer regretted what he did and would pay the full amount of compensation to his previous employers.

He added: "He is a member of the Rover Car Club and for him to be working in a place where there were a lot of car parts proved over the years too much of a temptation.

Mr McGeorge said his client had now found another job and asked for him not to be sent to prison.

Judge Tom Corrie agreed and ordered Beer to pay £3,707 compensation to Unipart and to complete 200 hours community service.

After the case, Unipart bosses insisted tight security procedures were in operation.

Spokesman Tamsin Johnston said: "We have 1,500 highly skilled and trusted employees in Oxford who continually demonstrate outstanding service to their customers.

Cases of individuals who abuse the level of trust the company places in them are rare and are brought to light through the security system."

Story date: Thursday 18 February

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