A WOMAN who was subject to a lifetime ban from Blackburn’s Mall was seen leaving the shopping centre with a bulging carrier bag.

Blackburn magistrates heard Tracey Wilson handed the bag to a man before going into Marks and Spencer where she was detained.

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The bag was recovered and found to contain clothes worth £249 and security staff recovered a pair of pliers and a number of security tags wrapped in foil from Wilson.

Wilson, 44, of Whalley New Road, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to theft from Next.

She was made subject to a community order for 12 months with a six months drug rehabilitation requirement and 20 days rehabilitation activity requirement and ordered to pay £85 costs and £20 victim surcharge.

Damian Pickup, defending, said Wilson had been through a traumatic few months in her life which was behind the offence taking place.

He said his client, who is married with three sons, had given birth to a baby girl in July but the child was only alive for three hours.

“It was particularly tragic because she had always wanted a girl,” said Mr Pickup. “It has been an enormously emotional time for her and on the day of this offence she was particularly depressed and decided she wanted some new clothes to make her feel better. She asks you to take into account her mental fragility at the time of this offence.”