A man who attempted to steal a police helicopter thought he had the necessary skills after playing a computer game.

Gareth Roberts, 30, admitted trying to take a £2m helicopter belonging to North Wales Police from Bodelwyddan.

Mr Roberts, of Greenbank Road, Hightown, Wrexham, was sentenced at Warrington Crown Court to two years probation on condition that he seeks psychiatric help.

The court heard his attempt to steal the helicopter was effectively a cry for help and that he intended to fly it into the sea.

Mr Roberts bypassed a razor wire fence and locked compound to climb into the helicopter.

He had earlier sought psychiatric help from three separate agencies in the previous 24 hours and had been turned down on each occasion.

Mr Roberts managed to get the helicopter's rotors to turn, but both the prosecution and defence insisted he would not have been able to take off into the air.

Mr Roberts had a history of drug and alcohol problems and decided to take the helicopter on the spur of the moment, the jury was told.

He had played on a computer game and had an HND in electronic engineering and believed under the influence of drugs he could fly the helicopter.