A young offender set fire to a wheelie bin because he wanted to be sent back to prison where he felt more comfortable, a court heard.

Christopher Worwood even waited around as the bin blazed in an alleyway off Sittingbourne High Street, but it was an hour before he was arrested.

Now, the 20-year-old has achieved his aim and is in custody awaiting sentence after admitting arson.

Maidstone Crown Court heard police officers saw Worwood drinking from a can of lager in the early hours of October 18 in the High Street.

Soon afterwards he torched the bin. A passing motorist saw the flames and called 999. Firefighters arrived and put it out.

Keith Yardy, prosecuting, said Worwood waited at the scene but the officers did not return immediately.

When they arrived, he told them: “Yeah, I want to go back to prison to sort my head out.”

Mr Yardy told a judge: “He said he wanted to go back to prison as he found the routine inside to be more beneficial than outside.

“He said he wanted to finish his beer and then stood back and saw the flames erupt. He was disappointed the police didn’t arrive. He was standing there about an hour. He felt frustrated as he wanted to go back inside.”

Alexia Zimbler, defending, said there was no doubt Worwood, of Crown Quay Lane, Sittingbourne, was trying to get himself arrested, but did not realise the implications at the time.

“He thought if he set fire to the bin they would immediately arrest him,” she said. “They didn’t. They had driven round to the other side.”

Judge Jeremy Carey asked if mitigation was aimed at reducing the sentence to the lowest possible or “to achieve what he set out to do”.

Miss Zimbler said Worwood declared he was doing well inside and wanted to stay there. “He just seems very comfortable where he is,” she added. “He likes to keep himself to himself.”

Judge Carey said he was concerned that Worwood would leave custody and do the same thing so that he could go back inside.

Adjourning sentence for reports to the week beginning December 9, he urged Worwood, who appeared by TV link with Elmley Prison, Sheppey, to cooperate with the probation service.