A POLICE Community Support Officer caught stealing a jumbo Toblerone bar by putting it inside his force-issued stab vest has been spared jail.
Shane Alborough, 27, of Neave Crescent, Romford was spotted taking the chocolate bar at an East London branch of Tesco on December 7, 2011.
Alborough, together with colleague James Nouchin, 31, was spotted walking away from the tills at the store in Green Street, Upton Park, without paying for groceries.
He had left a stash of unpaid for goods upstairs in the staff canteen, which police are permitted to use, but the chocolate bar was still inside his stab-vest when he walked out of the store.
He was found guilty of theft at Snaresbrook Crown Court last week.
Judge Simon Wilkinson decided against a prison sentence instead ordering Aldborough to complete 200 hours of community work.
After the Toblerone theft, both Aldborough and Nouchin, from Ilford, were searched when they returned to the store the next day after they were seen taking further items including noodles, nuts, face wash and a box of Finish All in One dishwater tablets, into the canteen without paying for them, which is against store policy.
When arrested, Alborough and Nouchin insisted it was always their intention to pay later.
Richard Berman prosecuting said: "But the Crown say this wasn't a one-off. Something very similar happened the day before.
"CCTV evidence shows the two defendants went in at 10.20am, selected items then went upstairs to the canteen.
"They were up there for the best part of three hours until 1.20pm, when they left without paying.
"Mr Alborough said he left the goods in the canteen but forgot to pay for them.
"Mr Nouchin said he selected the items, decided he didn't want to buy them, and left them in the canteen."
Judge Wilkinson told Alborough: "I accept that this was not strictly an offence committed by you in your capacity as a police community support officer.
"If it had been, I would have been sending you to prison.
"This offence, however, was committed by you while you were in uniform."
Alborough, who was cleared of a second count of theft, wasordered to pay £600 costs.
Mr Nouchin was cleared of two counts of theft.
