A man standing outside Morecambe police station dressed as the 'Grim Reaper' was arrested after a drunken night that went from bad to worse.

Christopher Kelly, 31, had come to Morecambe on October 5 with a group of friends from Nelson and got extremely drunk on lager and vodka.

Kelly lost his mates, who were celebrating a friend's birthday and were also drunk, and wandered onto the beach where he got stuck in boggy sand and lost his shoes, trousers and jacket.

Cold and wet, he staggered across the road to Morecambe Town Hall where, seeing a window open, he climbed inside.

There he went in various rooms, took a camera and a mobile phone which he tried to use to call his friends. Then he soiled his underwear which he threw into a black bin bag.

He found a 'Grim Reaper' fancy dress outfit and put this on before leaving the town hall and wandering down Lord Street towards Poulton Square where he eventually arrived at the police station which was, at that time, unmanned. He stood there for three hours, still in the Grim Reaper gear, until police arrived.

As the tale was being outlined by prosecutor Peter Bardsley at Lancaster Magistrates' Court on Friday, one probation service officer had to leave the courtroom in a fit of laughter.

Mr Bardsley said some of Kelly's antics in the town hall were captured on CCTV and added: "He didn't remember why he stole the camera and the phone but remembers taking an item of clothing but not where he found it.

"He was cold and very drunk."

Defending, John Lee said: "This is a strange case, one which has caused hilarity but is serious.

"In interview he made a full and frank admission that he was drunk and entered the town hall as a trespasser.

"The camera and mobile phone were recovered but the Grim Reaper outfit was disposed of.

"This has been the cause of a great deal of embarrassment for him.

"He's remorseful and ashamed of what he's done but has moderated his drinking and doesn't want to end up in a position like that again."

Magistrates agreed that they were very bizarre events and gave Kelly, 31, of Railway Street, Nelson a six month conditional discharge after he admitted burglary, having entered the town hall as a trespasser.

He was ordered to pay prosecution costs.