Xingming Intermediate People's Court delivered a sentence of one and a half years in jail to a prolific water-meter thief in Guangdong Province.

Li, a local jobless man, pilfered 29 water heaters one night in July - all from a single estate. Police detained him whilst he was stealing the 29th.

Altogether, the meters were worth 2,165 yuan (US$273).

Meizhou Daily