A Thanet woman turned Grinch after stashing items stolen from a neighbour under her own Christmas tree.

Devious Amanda Francis had climbed into the adjoining property through a hole in the ceiling and swiped goods, including a watch.

And when police probed the break-in it led back to Francis’s living room, where the 36-year-old had wrapped the items in foil and placed them around her Christmas tree.

Now drug addict Francis, of Grosvenor Place, Margate, is likely to spend this coming Christmas inside prison after being jailed for six months.

Canterbury Crown Court heard how the victim had lived in a room in Wellesley Villas in Ashford, next to Francis and her lover Wesley Adyinka.

“In my judgement this was a particularly mean offence, carried out just before Christmas. You targeted a neighbour and stole items which were of value to him” - Judge Simon James

On December 22 last year, the victim left his room at 8am and returned at 6.45pm, only to find it had been burgled.

Judge Simon James heard how a hole had been cut in the ceiling and thieves had taken a number of items.

Police officers arrived and knocked on the flat occupied by Francis, who opened the door after a delay, the court heard.

It was then officers discovered some of the stolen property around a Christmas tree, and minutes later Adyinka arrived wearing the stolen watch.

Adykina claimed that Francis had been in the loft and discovered the presents. He denied burglary but admitted handling stolen goods and was jailed for a year at an earlier hearing.

The judge, in sending her to prison after she admitted the burglary, told her: “In my judgement this was a particularly mean offence, carried out just before Christmas. You targeted a neighbour and stole items which were of value to him.”

Francis claimed she had suffered personal tragedies and had returned to taking illegal drugs.