Lager drinker relieves pub of gent's loo!

Most publicans expect to lose the odd beer mat or ashtray to their lighter-fingered clientele.

But one of Alan Dreja's customers pilfered something a little more inconvenient.

In a carefully-planned operation, he stole a urinal from the gents' toilet.

And, judging by the lack of residual damage - with the water supply neatly blanked off - he appears to have been something of a plumbing expert.

Mr Dreja, 46, pieced together the raid with the help of CCTV footage at the Royal Oak in Southampton .

Despite drinking only half a pint of lager, the man thought to be responsible made several trips to the gents' during the evening.

'He seems to go into the toilets to suss it out,' said Mr Dreja. 'On the last trip, you see him walking in there with a flat backpack - and 40 minutes later, he comes out with a bulging rucksack.'

Police believe the £100 urinal could have been stolen by someone doing cut-price plumbing work in the area.

But Mr Dreja, who faces a bill of £250 to replace it, said: 'It isn't the sort of thing I'd want to handle.'