ESTRANGED boyfriend Geoffrey Fay never realised his every move was being captured on film as he broke into and a set a camper van on fire.

Bury magistrates heard that the 40-year-old's former girlfriend, Naomi Edwards, and the mother of his three young children had decided to install the CCTV camera after the vehicle had been broken into on a previous occasion and the ignition wires ripped out.

Anna Morris, prosecuting, said Miss Edwards had left the van locked and secure outside her Prestwich home.

She had stayed up until 4.30am, during which time she had monitored the footage from the camera.

But shortly before 7am she was woken by a fireman banging on the door who told her that the camper van had been badly damaged by fire.

Rewind

After examining the vehicle, Miss Edwards went back to her home and rewound the video tape to reveal what had happened.

Mrs Morris said: "The tape showed a man going backwards and forwards to the camper van. Miss Edwards could tell by the size and actions of the individual that it was the defendant."

Joseph Foxler, defending, said that on the night in question Fay, from Bury Old Road, Prestwich, who pleaded guilty to destroying the Bedford Midi van by fire, had been out drinking in a number of bars.

He added: "He was feeling depressed and the van was a sort of symbol of the relationship to which he had contributed."

Fay was given 180 hours community service and ordered to pay court costs of £118.