Agreeing with Truro Youth Court chairman Mark Pilgrim that what he stole had probably been “trinkets” for his room, a 16-year-old Penzance boy said he thought it was ”cool” to have a fish restaurant sign and a council “No loading” sign as decoration.

The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to stealing the two signs and also asked for another offence of stealing a driving licence to be taken into consideration.

He told the police after officers discovered the signs in his room during a visit to the home for other reasons that he had found the restaurant sign in an alleyway in Truro and the other sign in a hedge in the city. The driving licence, the court heard, had been lost by its owner on a beach some time ago but had not been reported to the police.

Polly Morley, the boy’s solicitor, said he had had a chaotic and problematic life, having been abused by a close member of the family, and fleeing the home when he turned 16. He had stayed with a friend and then sought help from the council who had since placed him in suitable accommodation and arranged for him to have help with his problems. He was now getting his life back together and wanted to join the Army.

The magistrates made a youth referral order for six months and told the boy he had to pay £100 costs and surcharge.