A MAN who caused more than £8,000 damage at Stourbridge Junction railway station to steal just £221 in cash has avoided being put back behind bars.

Mark Hardy carried out his wrecking spree in a number of late night visits to the station over a 13 day period, Wolverhampton Crown Court was told.

The 38-year-old caused £1,205 damage to a photo booth while taking the cash box which contained £81, said Phillip Beardwell, prosecuting.

Then, nine days later, he returned and smashed a chocolate vending machine on the station platform so he could steal the cash box.

Mr Beardwell said Hardy committed a carbon copy offence at the station just four days later and caused a further £7,000 worth of damage, leaving with just £140 in cash.

Hardy left the cash boxes at the scene and they were found to carry his fingerprints by investigating police officers.

The court was told the offences were not included when Hardy committed a number of similar crimes around the same time, which resulted in him being given a two year jail term.

He was allowed back onto the streets in June and since then he had been working well with the Probation Service to put his life back onto the rails.

David Swinnerton, defending, said Hardy had clearly been making good progress and it would be wrong to disturb the work he had been doing.

Hardy, of Station Road, Stechford, admitted two charges of theft and another of burglary and he was given a 12 month community order.

Judge Simon Ward told him: "This was part of a series of similar offences committed around the same time for which you received a prison sentence.

"It would not be in the interests of justice to send you back to prison. I hope this is a watershed moment for you."