An arsonist has been jailed for 12 months for starting a fire at his former workplace.

It began in a storeroom at The Old Chesil Rectory Restaurant, Chesil Street, Winchester.

Nobody was injured, as the restaurant was closed, but the fire caused damage of £1,655 to the building, food stocks and tablecloths.

Darron Bayley (32), from Winchester, appeared at the city's crown court in May and pleaded guilty to arson. He returned last Friday to be sentenced.

Michelle Clarke, prosecuting, said Bayley was a kitchen porter at the restaurant until being fired in January 2003, after six years.

Manager, Philip Storey, took the decision, Miss Clarke said, because Bayley was missing shifts. She added that Bayley was receiving money from his employer to study at college, but did not attend classes.

Miss Clarke told the court that Bayley went drinking in the city on July 14th, 2003. At around 10pm, having consumed six pints of beer, he went to his old workplace.

Miss Clarke said the defendant then used white spirit to start a fire in the storeroom next to the 15th century main building.

On realising what he had done, Bayley called the fire brigade and walked 100-yards to Mr Storey's house to alert him. "He (Bayley) told him that the restaurant was on fire and he had called the fire brigade. He appeared to be drunk," added Miss Clarke.

She said firefighters put out the blaze and police arrested Bayley at the scene, later finding white spirit on his shoes matching traces in the storeroom.

Louis Weston, mitigating, said his client was feeling lonely and depressed after splitting up with his girlfriend in 2002.

Reading a psychiatric report, Mr Weston stated: "Although he doesn't have a recognisable psychiatric illness, he does have a borderline personality disorder."

He said that his client had not been convicted of any crimes since 1987, proving that he was not a frequent offender.

Mr Weston argued that Bayley needed counselling and that prison would be inappropriate. "It will be a far greater punishment for him than some 'Jack-the-lad'," he added.

Recorder Nigel Mylne QC praised Bayley for having the "courage" to plead guilty, but said prison was necessary. "This was a very dangerous thing to have done and was premeditated.

"The danger that could have arisen, not just to people who were in the vicinity, but to the firemen who had to put out your wickedness, was considerable."