Two thieves walked into a JD Sports store, lifted a haul of coats off the rails and then legged it, a court heard.

Lee Plant and Luke Ransome, who both have lengthy criminal records, walked into the shop in Maidstone and grabbed a number of coats before running off.

Police were called and Ransome, 45, was spotted in the town centre with the items just 15 minutes later and arrested.

The next day officers apprehended 44-year-old Plant. The pair were interviewed and later charged with shoplifting which they admitted when they appeared before magistrates in Medway on December 31.

Rajni Prashar, prosecuting, told the court the pair committed the offence on December 29 and that both had done so while on suspended sentences.

She added: “It was 3.50pm and they entered the JD Sports store in Maidstone and went to the coat aisle and took coats off the rail and left without making any attempt to pay by running out of the store and into the town.

“Officers arrested Ransome in Maidstone town centre shortly after the thefts on December 29.

“Plant was arrested on December 30 and the items which were valued at £280 were recovered all except one which we say was worth £70.”

The court also heard Plant, of West Park Road, Maidstone, and Ransome, of Captain’s Close, Sutton Valence, Maidstone, both had lengthy records.

Ms Prashar added: “There is a lengthy list of dishonesty convictions for Ransome and his last conviction for theft he was given custody suspended for 24 months, so he’s in breach of that.

“Plant also has a number of theft-related convictions and he was last convicted in March to a conditional discharge of 24 months so he’s in breach of that.

“He’s also committed the theft while on a suspended sentence he’d been given earlier.

“So there is a plethora of offending by both defendants.”

The court also heard the pair decided to steal the coats because of a lack of funds. Plant had overspent at Christmas and needed cash as his son had a birthday on January 3 and he didn’t have any money to buy him anything, but said all the coats were recovered by the police.

Magistrates told the pair because they were on suspended sentences there was no reason not to jail them for their latest crime.

As a result, they activated part of Ransome’s suspended sentence and jailed him for a week for the latest shoplifting offence. It meant he was jailed for a total of 25 weeks and must pay £239 in court costs when he is released.

Plant was also jailed for a week for the crime and part of his suspended sentence was also activated. He will serve a total of 15 weeks in custody and was also ordered to pay the same costs.

Police said in a statement after the hearing that Ransome had been pursued to a section of a towpath near Fremlin Walk and successfully detained.

Chief Inspector Steve Kent said: “Ransome and Plant are repeat and prolific thieves, the likes of whom cause significant harm to retailers and who can also cause distress to staff forced to endure abuse, threats and sometimes violence, simply for doing their job.

“I do hope, however, that the response of our officers and subsequent swift justice will again demonstrate our resolute commitment to protecting businesses from the small minority of people whose actions cause a disproportionally large volume of crime.”