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A MAN who broke into a fish merchants to "smoke himself some haddock" has been jailed for eight months.

Frankie Melvin was trying to get a late dinner in Arbroath, the town made famous by the "smokie", the local sheriff court was told.

He smashed windows and tried to break the padlock securing the doors at B&A Swankie Fish Merchants, then climbed the wall of the firm's yard.

Depute fiscal Hazel Anderson, prosecuting, said Melvin was "heavily under the influence of something" when he was found inside the yard at 8.30pm on June 16. Police were called and Melvin was arrested.

Melvin, 25, of High Street, Arbroath, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to attempting to force entry to the premises with intent to steal.

Gary McIlravey, defending, said the incident was "more of a farce than anything else".

He said: "My client's intention was to go in and smoke himself some haddock."

Sheriff Derek Pyle told Melvin: "You've got a dreadful record."

He jailed him for eight months, backdated to June 20.

In 2004, the European Commission registered "Arbroath Smokies" as a protected geographical indication under the EU's protected food name scheme.