A WOMAN stole more than £400 worth of items from several high street stores around South Cumbria, a court heard.

Rebecca Woodend, of Kent Street in Barrow, pleaded guilty at the first opportunity to seven counts of theft from a shop between January 22 – March 23 this year.

South Cumbria Magistrates’ Court heard Woodend – aged 29 -began her offending by stealing £75 worth of items from Tesco on Flass Lane in Barrow.

The court was told the defendant then stole £275.36 worth of items from Boots, Home Bargains and TK Maxx on Stricklandgate in Kendal on February 19.

Her offending continued into March after stealing various cleaning items totalling £49.20 belonging to Tesco in Barrow on March 17.

Court documents shows Woodend also stole a large black cherry Yankee candle valued at £29.99 from Clinton Cards in Barrow on March 23 and several Traditions and Willow Tree ornaments from the same store on March 29.

The total amount of items stolen totalled £429.53.

As a result of her guilty plea, magistrates imposed a 12-month community order with requirements to complete six months of a drug rehabilitation programme and 15 rehabilitation requirement days.

She was also fined £80 for the offences and ordered to pay £75 in compensation back to Tesco.