A thief with a 666 tattoo has been jailed for stealing cash from a church altar.

Alan Brown, who has the number of beast marked on his neck, stole the donation box from a votive candle rack.

Brown's previous crimes include robbing a priest and stealing Remembrance Day cash from wounded soldiers and children.

The 35-year-old admitted forcing open a lockfast cash box and stealing money from St John's Church in Perth on October 18.

Brown, of Viewlands Place in Errol, Perthshire, also admitted stealing a mother's cash from her locker while she was swimming at Perth Leisure Pool with her children on October 22.

Fiscal depute Bill Kermode told Perth Sheriff Court on Thursday: "He came into the ground and parked a bike. The accused entered the church through the main door.

"He walked straight down the centre of the aisle and up to the church altar where the cash box was. He was briefly lost to sight before seeming to leave with something in his hand."

When police investigated, the candle donation money was found to be missing and CCTV footage showed Brown was responsible.

Before he was arrested he carried out the theft at the leisure pool by waiting for a family to enter the water before breaking into their locker.

Solicitor Linda Clark, defending, said: "The court will have gleaned from his record that he has had a problem with substance abuse for many years. He was released from his last sentence in July.

"On October 18, a row erupted between him and his pregnant girlfriend and he left to avoid further confrontation. Rather than go back he takes a quantity of Valium."

Brown was jailed for four months.