This is the moment a smartly dressed shoplifter grabs a trendy Jellycat toy and stuffs it in her handbag.

Leanne Crawley stole some £2,528 worth of the upmarket plushies from a garden centre in Buckland, Surrey, on April 22, 2024.

She went on to snatch a further £76 worth of the toys, which retail for between £25 and £50 each, from the Lemon Tree gift shop in nearby Dorking later that day.

Joined by a male accomplice throughout, the pair finally travelled to an M&S store in Ashtead where they walked off with £590 worth of champagne.

They struck again more recently, on September 25 last year, when they helped themselves to a staggering £800 worth of Jellycats from another Lemon Tree branch in Banstead, Surrey.

Later that day, the pair were also caught on CCTV stealing toothbrushes and razors from a Morrisons store in nearby Caterham.

Crawley, 46, from Orpington, south London, appeared at Bromley Magistrates' Court on Friday after pleading guilty to five counts of theft – having also committed a further two offences in late last year.

But the shoplifter, who has some 45 previous convictions for theft, was spared jail and handed an 18-week prison sentence, suspended for one year.

She was also ordered to pay £85 in costs and a surcharge of £154 – but no compensation to the shops affected, with the judge ruling it would not be 'proportionate'.

The court heard the other thefts which saw Crawley hauled before the bench took place at a BP petrol station in Tonbridge, Kent, on December 17 and 18.

She first stole some £123 worth of large Santa-shaped chocolates – before returning the next day to pinch a further two of the enormous sweets, to the value of £150.

Shocking CCTV footage of Crawley targeting the gift shop in Banstead shows her wearing a polished outfit, with her hair tied back neatly in a large hair bow, to avoid suspicion.

The clip shows her pretending to browse the shelves as she looks around furtively to see if she is being observed.

Thinking the coast is clear, she starts to take the toys off the shelves and throw them on the floor behind a card rack – before later picking them up to stuff them in her handbag.

Prosecutor Tharshani Siba said: 'The defendant and male went to the rear of the store and removed Jellycats to the total of £800. Both then left without making any attempt to pay.'

Jellycat toys have become particularly resaleable in recent years, in part because the company 'retires' favourites – meaning there is a hot secondhand market.

Some go for huge mark-ups on resale sites like Vinted and eBay, with some previous auctions having seen bidders cough up around £1,000 per plushie.

Ivor Rao, who owns the Lemon Tree gift shop chain, said the theft, along with Crawley's crime at another of his stores, had hit his business hard.

Employees have been left terrified by the incidents – and it has now forced them, in a drastic move, to lock all Jellycats away to keep them secure.

'It's the effect on the staff that is the worst thing,' he said.

'If we confront someone we don't know what they are going to do and you feel vulnerable. We lock them away now and all the staff feel much more relaxed.

'It's hard work running a shop on the High Street so any stock that is taken hits our bottom line.'

Following her string of thefts, bosses warned other retailers selling the popular plushies to watch out for Crawley, in a strongly worded message posted on social media.

'Public Service Announcement for all Jellycat retailers,' they wrote on Facebook.

'WATCH OUT. This woman, working with another bloke I will post separately, has just stolen over £600 of Jellycat toys from us. Please share widely and help us identify this person.

'All Jellycat retailers: this is the quickest way I can warn you of these culprits.

'Facebook sleuths: please help. You were wonderful before and helped us get a conviction. Please share far and wide and help us identify this lowlife.'

Matt Tye, defending, said Crawley had suffered drug addiction but had worked hard to get clean – and her crimes in December came during a temporary relapse.

He said: 'These were not sophisticated offences. Her recovery is still quite fragile. There are many positive things going on so I would ask you not to send her to prison.'

Sentencing, Jonathan Patterson, chair of the bench, said Crawley's financial position was part of his decision not to ask her to pay compensation to the stores affected.

'If we were to order compensation it would be a substantial amount,' he explained.

'Whilst we sympathise with the retailers we do not think it's proportionate that you pay compensation given the plethora of shops involved.

'You are taking the right steps. The bench wishes you good luck in your quest to remain drug free.'

Crawley responded: 'Thank you for giving me this opportunity, I'm really grateful.'