A BLACKBURN woman before court on a theft charge denied she had travelled all the way to Rochdale as part of a professional shoplifting operation.

Linzi Nadine Pickup, 29, said to be the "black sheep" of a large respectable family, claimed she had gone along with an offence of shoplifting carried out by her partner at Tesco Stores, in Rochdale.

Pickup, of Accrington Road, Blackburn, admitted the theft of spirits and groceries to an amount of almost £300.

Miss Anne Shaw, prosecuting, told the bench at Rochdale it was a "substantial" amount and Pickup refused to name her male accomplice.

Miss Shaw said Pickup was already subject to two conditional discharges, one for a similar matter, and the other for heroin possession. Pickup had a "lengthy" record.

Miss Shaw told the magistrates that Pickup and a male had been watched on a CCTV monitor as they loaded up with a variety of items which were concealed beneath other goods.

They hung around for 20 minutes near the check-out and then exited without paying. Pickup was detained.

The court heard that Pickup's partner, the absent male, was presently in prison serving a long sentence.

Pickup said she travelled with her partner to Rochdale to visit friends and whilst there they decided to kill two birds with one stone by doing their regular shopping. She believed her partner to have money for the goods, but it turned out he had left it at home. She went along with the theft. Although it was a high-value shoplifting offence, she denied it had "the hallmarks of a professional shoplifting team".

The court heard that Pickup, who had never worked since leaving school, may have been considered the "black sheep" of a large family, none of whom had been before the court.

However she was said to have suffered disability with severe medical problems and had a kidney removed. She was continuing to have treatment. It was considered she had "got into the wrong crowd" and there was an element of drug addiction.

The magistrates ordered pre-sentence reports. Pickup, who was granted bail, will re-appear in court for sentencing on November 20.