A disabled badge holder used her government financed mobility vehicle to drive to Sutton and rob shoppers in Asda, Sutton police said.

The 56-year-old woman was sentenced at Croydon Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, February 3, to 18 weeks suspended for 24 months after pleading guilty to two charges of theft from the High Street store.

Gloria Thomas, of Sidney Road in Staines, admitted taking a handbag containing cash, a phone and keys, worth about £400 in total, from a trolley being used by another woman at about 5pm on Friday, November 7.

According to the police Thomas did not realise she had been spotted on CCTV by a store security officer.
Having taken the handbag, Thomas hid it in a rack of clothes before returning, about 15 minutes later, to put the handbag into a larger handbag and leave the store.

On Thursday, January 29, 2015, the same security officer was on duty and spotted Thomas at about 3pm. She was said to have been picked up on CCTV targeting potential victims for 10 minutes before finally distracting a shopper, who had a child with her.

Thomas was said to have stolen a handbag, worth £400, from the back of a child's pram, but was challenged and detained by store security. Once police arrived Thomas was arrested for two counts of theft. On this occasion, the handbag was returned to its owner.

PC Shane Given, of Sutton Central Safer Neighbourhoods Team, said Thomas, had driven to Sutton in her Nissan Duke "mobility finance vehicle" with the "sole purpose of targeting shoppers, creating some kind of distraction, and stealing handbags hanging on trolleys or pushchairs".

Steps are being taken to have her vehicle recalled.

Thomas was ordered to take part in a "structured supervision for women programme" and a supervision requirement to attend appointments with a responsible officer. She also was ordered to pay compensation of £400.