A boutique shop owner followed a woman who had stolen a scarf and confronted her in Blackburn Market.

Blackburn Magistrates' Court heard the woman handed over £20 to pay for the item, but when police arrived shop owner Vanessa Guerin said she wanted the woman prosecuted.

Tatjana Kleine, 27, of Long Shaw Lane, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to theft from Boutique By Vee, based in King William Street.

Kleine was made subject to a conditional discharge for three months.

Nasima Patel, prosecuting, said the attention of the owner of the town centre shop was drawn to the defendant, who entered and then left very quickly.

"The owner caught up with the defendant in Blackburn Market and asked her to return the scarf," said Miss Patel.

"She refused but when she was told the incident had been caught on CCTV handed over £20."

Kimberley Morton, mitigating, said her client had no previous convictions and it had been hoped the matter could be sent back to the police for consideration of a caution.

She said Kleine had missed her original court date but had handed herself in at Greenbank police station in Blackburn at 9am on Monday.

"She has a four-month-old child which she is breastfeeding but for whatever reason she was not put before the court that day and has been in custody overnight," said Miss Morton.

"She was clearly in a vulnerable position and should somehow have been brought before the court without delay."