A BT employee with an impeccable record of almost 40 years fears his job may now be at risk after he stole more than 20 old telegraph poles.

But the court heard he had made no financial gain from passing on the posts to a family friend who owned a farm, so handed down a more lenient sentence on Steven Smart.

The 60-year-old of Cherry Tree Grove, Pinehurst, pleaded guilty to one charge of theft by employee when he appeared before magistrates sitting in Swindon on Wednesday morning.

The court heard that between October 2014 and November 2015 the BT employee had been disposing of BT telegraph poles as part of his work.

“They were meant to be taken for recycling, but the defendant had been taking them and giving them to other persons,” said Michelle Hewitt on behalf of the Crown Prosecution Service. “They found 24 of these poles at High Barn Farm. They spoke to the owner of the premises and he confirmed that the owner of the farm had been giving him meat in exchange for them, he hadn’t been paying for them. He had been using them to make fencing.”

She added that BT had a recycling scheme in place for the old poles and the defendant had had no permission to take them and dispose of them in the manner that he did. She added the 24 poles were thought to be worth a total value of £200, but BT was not seeking compensation.

Defending him, Emma Thacker told the magistrates that Smart had no previous convictions and had notched up 38 years of “impeccable service” with BT and no disciplinary matters recorded against him.

She added that as part of his employment with the telecommunications firm he was responsible for taking down the old poles and installing the new ones, so had the necessary vehicle for transporting them at his use.

“He gained no financial benefit for this, he was helping out a family friend of some 10-15 years,” she said. “A number of the poles were rotting which is why they were taken down in the first place. In the 38 years he has worked for BT he was not aware that there was a recycling contract so he thought they would be destroyed.”

She explained that he had been suspended from his job and hadn’t had any contact with his employer. “He is certainly very realistic there is a strong chance that he may find himself out of work. He is prepared for the worst in relation to that, but he is very concerned because he can’t afford to retire.

“He says he is very sorry and feels he has let everyone down, certainly BT and his family and that is causing him great distress.”

Sentencing him, chairman of the bench Margaret Penfound told him they were going to deal with the matter by way of a conditional discharge. She stressed that this was not the recommended punishment for such an offence, but as Smart had a good working record and had shown real remorse they were prepared to impose that.

He must also pay £85 in court costs and a £15 victim surcharge.