A 44-year-old man went into a Cardenden construction site and used an excavator to steal an expensive piece of machinery.

The culprit was Gordon Cuthbert, of Cheviot Road, Kirkcaldy, who has appeared at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.

He admitted that on 8th April last year at the Ogilvie Construction site, Balgonie Grove, Cardenden, he stole a vibrating plate.

He also maliciously damaged a fence and cut CCTV wiring.

An employee turned up for work and found a JCB excavator which had been on the site was now in a neighbouring field.

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Depute fiscal Catherine Stevenson said Cuthbert had used the excavator to move the vibrating plate, which was valued at between £2,000 and £3,000.

Fencing had also been damaged to move the plate and CCTV equipment cut.

The court was told Cuthbert is currently on a drug treatment and testing order.

Sheriff Garry Sutherland deferred sentencing until the next review of that order on 16th November.