A TRIO of thieves have admitted to stealing more than 300 toilet rolls from a building site.

The men also admitted stealing industrial sized bottles of hand sanitizer, a microwave, laptop and petrol generator during the raid.

Police had stopped a van in south Essex on the evening of Friday, March 20, in connection with reports a vehicle had been seen smashing through a barrier at a building site in Bury Lane, Hatfield Peverel.

Officers found the haul of goods inside the vehicle and tweeted a photo showing bundles of in-demand toilet rolls stashed in the back.

They later discovered the items had been stolen from the building site in Hatfield Peverel.

Three men were arrested and charged with burglary.

They all admitted the charge when appearing at Chelmsford Magistrates Court.

James Scamp, 41, from Purfleet, and Thomas Simmonds, 37, of South Ockendon, were both ordered to carry out 140 of unpaid work.

Johnnie Samp, 29, of Aveley, was meanwhile ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work.