A quick-thinking priest barricaded a thief into his church after he spotted him trying to raid collection boxes.

Father Dr Tobias Okoro spotted Joseph Grant acting suspiciously in his church and immediately locked the doors so he was trapped inside.

On Thursday Grant was sentenced to five months in prison at Perth Sheriff Court after he admitted being found in St Brides RC Church in Pitlochry in circumstances which suggested he was trying to commit theft.

Grant, 50, who has a string of convictions for dishonesty, was still locked inside when officers from Tayside Police arrived.

when questioned by officers, he claimed he had gone into the church to use the toilet.

Grant was on his way home from a trip to Edinburgh for cancer treatment when he stopped off to visit the church on 21 March. The court heard he was also on bail.

Fiscal depute Carol Whyte said: "At about 1.15pm on 21 March Father Okoro, who is the priest, saw the accused go into the main part of the church where he looked in the collection boxes either side of the door.

"He locked the accused in the church and contacted the police."

Solicitor David Holmes, defending, said Grant was "seriously ill" with cancer.

He said: "He has a supportive family and they had arranged for him to receive treatment for his cancer in Edinburgh. It was on the trip home that this incident took place."

Mr Holmes told the court that Grant had formerly worked in a fish factory but had been unemployed for some time.