A man has been handed a suspended prison sentence within a day of being arrested for stealing a £10,000 caravan in north Essex.

Police were called after a 24ft caravan was seen being taken from a site at Bradfield, near Manningtree, at about 10.45am yesterday.

The police helicopter was called in to search main roads in the area and located a 4x4 vehicle towing a caravan on the southbound A12 near Stanway at 11.08am.

Ground units were called in and the vehicle and caravan were stopped on the Chelmsford bypass, just south of Boreham at 11.26am.

Paul Phillips, 27, of no fixed address, was arrested and later charged with theft of the caravan and driving without insurance.

He was remanded in custody to appear at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court today where he pleaded guilty to both offences.

He was given an eight-week prison sentence suspended for 12 months and banned from driving for six months.

Magistrates were told that Phillips was due to start a drug rehabilitation course soon.