A SHOPLIFTER travelled 85 miles to Wisbech armed with a foil-lined bag aimed at defying a shop security system.

Zilvinas Juskevicius hatched a plan to target a store in the town because he needed cash for rent and food, Fenland magistrates were told.

He stole two DVD players from the Asda store and placed them in his specially adapted bag - but was stopped outside the shop by security staff.

Juskevicius, 21, of Francis Street, Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, admitted stealing the DVD players worth �174 and going equipped for theft on December 8.

Andrea Fawcett, prosecuting, told the court: “The defendant and another man were seen by security staff acting in a suspicious manner.”

Another man selected the DVD players and placed them in a store basket. Both men went into a changing room and emerged with an empty basket, and the defendant was holding a black bag.

Ms Fawcett said: “Two DVD players were found in the bag lined with foil. The defendant gave a false name, but his true identify was discovered by the finger print system.

“The defendant had travelled to Wisbech by train and then bus, he admitted he went into Asda to steal something expensive, he needed money for rent and food.

“He took the bag with him to assist in beating the shop security system.”

Mitigating, George Sorrell said: “Clearly this was not a spur of the moment thing, or a low value theft.

“He was unemployed at the time, put together a plan to use the lined bag and travelled here.”

Ordering Juskevicius to perform 100 hours of unpaid work and pay �85 costs, presiding magistrate Peter Waterfield said: “You came to Wisbech for shoplifting, we don’t like that here.”