Detective fined for rubbish theft

A private detective was fined pounds 150 yesterday for stealing a newspaper executive's rubbish as part of an industrial espionage plot.

Isleworth Crown Court in west London was told John Reilly took three sacks of refuse from the home of the Sunday Times managing editor Roger Eglin. The paper was investigating alleged espionage by British Airways against Virgin. Reilly, of Twickenham, south- west London, had denied theft.