A MAN stole more than £1,000 of cooking oil from restaurants and pubs in Cheshire and Wrexham, Chester Crown Court was told.

Aleksandar Raychev, 44, of Empire Avenue, Edmonton, previously pleaded guilty to five theft charges.

Appearing at Chester Crown Court on Wednesday, November 15 to be sentenced, Raychev was handed a 10-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months.

The court heard Raychev first stole £100 of cooking oil from the Cock O'Barton pub in Barton, Cheshire, on October 15, 2022.

He then stole £156 of cooking oil from Gresford Fish Bar near Wrexham on November 5, 2022.

The following day, he stole £150 of cooking oil from the Cock O'Barton pub in Barton, £540 of cooking oil from the Sleepy Panda restaurant in Wrexham and £156 of cooking oil from the Golden Lion public house in Rossett.

As part of his suspended sentence, Raychev must carry out 10 days of a rehabilitation activity requirement and 120 hours unpaid work.

He must also pay £500 prosecution costs and a £187 victim surcharge.