A LOWESTOFT man who set fire to two Royal Mail postboxes has been given a conditional discharge.

Stephen Davis, 36, had previously admitted a charge of arson after starting at a fire at the town's main post office in London Road North on February 9.

Lowestoft Magistrates' Court was told on Tuesday that, a month after the fire, Davis, of Pier Terrace, was arrested again for damaging Lowestoft police station and he was detained under the Mental Health Act.

He admitted causing �681 of damage by kicking and barging a door at the station.

A separate charge of causing damage to the post office building was dropped.

Colette Griffiths, prosecuting, said that as a result of Davis's actions, some letters in the boxes caught fire and the Post Office had to deep-clean the boxes. Davis was now a voluntary patient at Carlton Court and his mental health problems were being addressed.

After an improvement in his health, he was due to leave the NHS site soon.

The court was told that Davis had carried out the arson attack because of his 'convoluted' thought process.

James Hartley, for Davis, said he was now as calm as he had ever been in his adult life as a result of his NHS treatment.

Mr Hartley added: 'He is a lot more stable than he was. There is a history of mental health problems in the family.

'If he had been in a well condition he would not have done the things he did.'

Davis, who had no previous convictions, was given a 12-month discharge and told to pay �500 compensation to Suffolk police and �100 to the Post Office.