The case of the stolen watermelon is not the first time a shoplifter has been convicted for swiping a somewhat unusual item.

Magistrates in Barrow have heard countless cases involving shoplifting of random goods - including ice cream, condoms, noodles, cheese, a Dyson, honey and even a £5 broom.

At South Cumbria Magistrates' Court yesterday, Ben Pirie, 26, of no fixed abode, admitted stealing a £2 watermelon from Tesco in Hindpool Road, Barrow on October 25.

He was seen by security staff to take a watermelon off the shelf before walking out of the store shouting "see ya'".

Pirie was fined £40 for the theft and £80 for possession of cannabis, as well as being ordered to pay £2 in compensation for the watermelon, court costs of £85, and a victim surcharge of £30.

Walking out of court, Pirie said: "This case has cost me more than that watermelon."

And just last month Lee Kenneth Bosley, of Salthouse Road, admitted stealing four jars of manuka honey worth £19.99 each from Morrisons in The Strand.

Bosley, who apologised to the court, was fined £80 for the theft, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £35 and court costs of £85.

Earlier in October, Christopher Ellis, 27, of Canol Creuddyn, Llandudno, pleaded guilty to stealing ice cream worth £10 from Premier Lakes Movies, Kendal, on August 14.

For the theft, Ellis was handed a four-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £10 compensation. He was also fined £50 for the charge of failing to attend.

Back in June, Paul Christopher Knowles pleaded guilty to stealing a £319 Dyson vaccum cleaner from Tesco in Barrow.

Knowles was fined £80 for the theft and £40 for the drug offence, and ordered to pay court costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £30.

Going further back in the archives, teenager David Paul Sandham stole a £10 packet of condoms from Tesco after a night out drinking to "show off".

Sandham was given a 12-month conditional discharge and told to pay £85 court costs and a £30 victim surcharge.

Then there was the case of the 'polite' thief Michael James Lee Rooney who stole three DVDs from sex shop Simply Pleasure in Barrow and said "I'm sorry but I'm going to have to rob these" as he left the store.

Rooney pleaded guilty to one count of theft from a shop. He was ordered to pay a £75 fine, pay £50 compensation for the stolen DVDs, pay criminal court costs of £55, and a victim surcharge of £20.

In December 2015 Geza Szakacs, of Church Walk, Ulverston, pleaded guilty to stealing a £5 broom from The Factory Shop in Ulverston.

Szakacs was fined £50 and ordered to pay a £20 victim surcharge, £30 costs and a £150 criminal courts charge.

Mark Johnson appeared before magistrates in September 2015 after stealing two packets of noodles worth £1.50 from B&M Bargains.

Magistrates jailed him for 24 weeks and ordered to pay £150 court costs and an £80 victim surcharge.

Earlier that month Andrew Stephen Hackett, of Rawlinson Street, Barrow, pleaded guilty to stealing a block of cheese from Heron Foods on September 5.

The 31-year-old also admitted stealing toiletries from Debenhams worth £306 between September 5 and 6, stealing electrical items worth £31.79 from Home Bargains on September 6 and failing to surrender to custody on September 27.

Hackett was sent to prison for a total of 12 weeks and ordered to pay court costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £115.