A MUM and son shoplifting team cleared a shelf of cosmetics worth £1,364.

Blackburn magistrates heard they returned to the same Burnley Boots store three weeks later and walked off with sun cream worth £449.

Ramona Gavril, 41, and Sebastian Gavril, 21, both of Leyland Road, Burnley, pleaded guilty to theft of No7 cosmetics and P20 sun cream. They were each ordered to pay £500 compensation.

Laura Peers, prosecuting, said on May 25 a security officer in Boots was informed by a member of staff that the face cream display was empty and had possibly been stolen.

He viewed CCTV and saw a man and a woman placing the items in a large bag before leaving the store. On Friday they entered the same store and removed a large quantity of sun cream, that offence also being caught on CCTV.

The town centre CCTV operator located the couple and said they had entered Wilkinsons on St James Street.

"The Boots security officer went to that store and detained the defendants until the police arrived," said Miss Peers. She said none of the property had been recovered.

Imran Hussain, defending, said the courts often deal with professional shoplifters who travel out of their own area to commit offences.

"They do not fit into that category," said Mr Hussain.

"They both live in Burnley, where the offences were committed, and they have no previous convictions. There was no distraction of staff or anything like that, they simply went in, filled the bag and left."