A whisky drinker who broke into a stranger's home to help himself to several nips was caught when she set up secret surveillance to crack the mystery.

Businesswoman Vikki Banks set up a camera after being puzzled by the regular disappearance of whisky from a bottle sitting in her front room.

She was stunned to discover handyman James Reid had been breaking in and out of her house to use it as an bar while she was at work.

On Friday at Perth Sheriff Court, Reid was ordered to carry out 50 hours of unpaid work as part of a community payback order.

The court heard how Reid took gulps of whisky and then topped up the bottle with water to cover his tracks before leaving Ms Banks' home, locking the door behind him.

He had discovered a house key hidden under a stone outside the property and used it to enter Ms Banks' home on a number of occasions.

The 54-year-old was finally caught when she turned detective and set up a camera system linked to a hi-tech phone app, which alerted her to movement in her home.

Fiscal depute Bill Kermode said the victim suspected someone had been in her house because a bottle of Famous Grouse she kept on the windowsill had been watered down.

He said: "As a result she installed a camera system that sends automatic email notifications when it detects movement.

"She left the house at 7.47am, checking the back door was locked. There was a notification at 10.57am and she viewed the video.

"She saw the accused walking out of the lounge into the kitchen. At 11am another notification showed him leaving and pulling the back door shut.

"She returned to the house and discovered the back door was locked. On entering the kitchen she noticed the top of the whisky was loose and the level had dropped by an inch since she last looked.

"She searched the house and nothing else was missing, despite there being money lying around."

Reid, of Fordie Mains Farm, Perth, admitted breaking into the house in Gowan Brae, Blairgowrie, on February 9 last year and stealing whisky and wine.

The Crown accepted his not-guilty plea to a similar offence on February 2.

He told police: "I admit going into the house. It's because I'm an alcoholic."