TWO men appeared have appeared before a court in Ipswich accused of taking part in a number of lorry container thefts from the Port of Felixstowe with goods valued at over £300,000 being stolen.

TWO men appeared have appeared before a court in Ipswich accused of taking part in a number of lorry container thefts from the Port of Felixstowe with goods valued at over £300,000 being stolen.

Laurence Summers of Montague Road, Edmonton, London, pleaded guilty to the charge of playing a part in the theft of a container full of sportswear and jackets.

He was involved in the theft of the container and load, worth £52,000, from Felixstowe Docks last Thursday .

He was released on unconditional bail and will appear at Ipswich Crown Court at a date to be arranged.

Lee Cox, of Manor Road, Romford, was alleged to have been involved in the theft last Thursday and faced three additional charges of a similar nature in which an additional £229,000 of goods was stolen.

It is alleged that on August 10, Cox stole a container and its load valued at £21,000.

The second allegation relates to a similar incident on October 5 when it is said he stole a container full of quad bikes valued at £104,000.

He is then alleged to have repeated this theft the following day, taking a second load of quad bikes to the same value.

Magistrates did not have sufficient powers to try Cox, 26, and he was released on conditional bail until Thursday November 1.

The conditions of his bail were that he must reside at his parents home in Romford, must report daily to Romford police station, must surrender his passport and was not to enter any dock area.

Tim Ridyard, representing Summers, said that his client had explained to the police that he was "a follower and not a leader" and that he had been offered money to take part in just one incident in which he was the passenger in the lorry cab.

He said that Summers, who does not work after an industrial accident five years ago, had no idea what part he was to play in the theft and did not know what was going to be picked up.

Graham Skippen represented Cox.