AN itemised bill proved the undoing of mobile phone thief Ashley Dadak.

Police were able to use the bill to link the 20-year-old with the missing handset, simply by the numbers which Dadak had called.

At Bury magistrates court yesterday, Dadak pleaded guilty to the theft of the £90 Nokia handset.

The court heard how Dadak, of Brandlesholme Road, Bury, was working as a kitchen assistant at the Bank House Nursing Home in Bury when he stole the phone.

He took it from an elderly woman while clearing plates from her home. Police were called when the woman's daughter failed to get in touch with her.

Suspicion fell on Dadak after an itemised bill was obtained and the numbers that had been called were checked.

The defendant said he was ashamed of what he had done and that he had taken the phone to raise money. It was later stolen from him.

Dadak was given an 80-hour community punishment order and was told to pay £90 in compensation and £60 court costs.