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A 27-year-old woman has been jailed after being part of a gang that stole £5,000 worth of jewellery from a town centre store right under workers' noses.
Three people - a man and two women - were alleged to have swiped an expensive necklace and bracelet from Claybrooks in William Street, Herne Bay, earlier this year.
After entering the store at about 4.20pm, they told staff they wanted to buy the items.
The suspects stood next to the counter for several minutes as the valuables were being packed before leaving the store, saying they needed to withdraw extra cash to purchase the goods.
Minutes later, staff realised the jewellery had been taken.
Speaking to the Gazette days after the incident, one said: "We just had a gut feeling that something wasn’t right, checked the bag and saw the two heavy items had gone. By that time the three customers were gone.
"The bracelet was worth about £1,300 and the chain £4,000.
“No one saw them do it. Somehow they took the items out of the bag. The police have watched the CCTV as well and we still can’t work out which of them did it.
“It was just sleight of hand. They weren’t aggressive or anything, they were very clever thieves.”
Only two years ago a hooded man wielding an axe stole 20 gold rings worth thousands of pounds from Claybrooks. No one has been prosecuted for the offence.
And, following the theft in May, the shop worker added: “It’s getting worse round here. The police aren’t around and crime is going on constantly and everyone’s getting away with it.
“It’s the same for all the shops in the town; we don’t get support in the town. It’s getting ridiculous.
'We just had a gut feeling that something wasn’t right, checked the bag and saw the two heavy items had gone' - a Claybrooks shop worker
“I don’t feel so safe round here. You can’t trust anyone.”
Claudia Rostas, who lives in Rotherham, was arrested following a nationwide search for the thieves.
She was charged with the offence and also accused of stealing several thousand pounds of jewellery from Goldsmiths in Stockton-on-Tees two months before.
She denied the allegations in front of Teesside magistrates in August, but later changed her plea to guilty.
Rostas, originally from Romania, was sentenced to six months in prison by judge Peter Armstrong at Teesside Crown Court last month.
Speaking afterwards, Tony Cross from Cleveland Police said: “Cleveland officers were able to arrest Rostas as a result of a national search."
The other two people seen in the CCTV images have not been apprehended.
If you know who they are, call 01843 222289, quoting the reference number 46/84963/19.
Alternatively, you can call Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111
