A FOREMAN stole 30 tons of scaffolding from his boss to help start up his own business , Southampton Crown Court heard.

Matthew Brock took £20,000 worth of equipment from Julian Passingham which cost him £2,500 to recover.

It later transpired that Brock had stolen another £1,000 worth of similar equipment from his former employers, S & K Scaffolding. That scaffolding had also been recovered.

When police went to Brock’s premises they discovered he had set up a small cannabis factory but the 14 plants he had been cultivating were dead.

Brock, 30, of Meadow Close, West Wellow, admitted two counts of theft and one of being concerned in the production of cannabis.

He received an eight-month suspended sentence coupled with 300 hours of unpaid work.

He must also pay Mr Passingham’s costs.

In mitigation Audrey Archer said Brock had been suffering from shoulder pain and feared he would have to stop doing the only job he knew.

“In his mind he wanted to do as much scaffolding work as he could before he had to give up.

He wanted money for a rainy day.”