The youth who stole Charlotte Church's golden discs – and then returned them - has blamed drink on his actions.

Leighton Price, 18, broke into the singer's parents' Cardiff hotel after drinking seven cans of lager, then stole four of the awards.

He took them off the wall and tried to get a fifth, but within 48 hours of a police appeal he returned them in a carrier bag.

"When he sobered up, he realised what he had done and he did his best to put it right," said his solicitor, Carol Anthony. "He even rang the hotel, anonymously, to make sure nobody else found them."

She added: "It was a moment of madness that wouldn't have happened had it not been for the amount he had drunk."

Price was released on conditional bail until sentencing on March 10.