A GROUP of thieves were caught stealing clothing worth £771 from Matalan in Blackburn.

The town’s magistrates heard four women and two men were in the car which had travelled from their homes in Bolton.

Arpad Kovaks, 23, of Carslake Avenue, Bolton, and Zoltan Petrovics, 38, of Calder Road, Bolton, pleaded guilty to stealing from Matalan.

Petrovics was ordered to do 200 hours unpaid work and Kovacs 100 hours.

They were both ordered to pay £145 costs.

Two juveniles and another adult have already been dealt with.

Philippa White, prosecuting, said staff at the store saw a group of people pushing a trolley stacked with clothes on to the car park.

They followed and saw three women throwing the clothing into the back of a car. Staff challenged them and removed the clothing but the group drove off before the police arrived.