Two asylum seekers went out on a shoplifting expedition to steal expensive designer handbags to sell so they could eat and buy themselves clothes.

Frans Epentrius, 29, and Tobias Iileka, 33, who are both waiting for their claims for asylum to be processed by the Home Office, decided to take a trip to Bluewater shopping centre in Greenhithe to steal items to order.

The pair went into the John Lewis store on December 23, with Iileka armed with a pair of wire cutters where Epentrius then picked an expensive small black Coach handbag valued at £550 and put it into a brown paper bag he was holding.

However, Epentrius clocked he was being watched by a member of staff and he then hid behind a shop pillar and put the handbag back on a shelf on a different display.

The pair were then spoken to by staff who called the police, but they refused to wait for officers to arrive and made off.

Soon after police arrived and started chasing the thieves and they were eventually detained and arrested.

Iileka had also previously stolen items from the John Lewis store when he went there on December 4, with an unknown female when he and the woman stole fragrances, handbags and expensive sunglasses valued at £1,356.

Iileka, of Trefoil Cresent, Crawley, who was previously living in Home Office-approved accommodation in Middlesborough, was charged with shoplifting in relation to the incident on December 4, and going equipped for theft with the wire cutters for the December 23 incident.

Lauren Kenny, prosecuting, said the incident on December 4, happened at about 7.05pm in the John Lewis store when the unknown female with Iileka was spotted putting a pair of sunglasses in her trouser pocket.

Miss Kenny added: “The pair also took a Coach handbag and some Gucci fragrance and a Gucci coat and left the store, but the thefts were witnessed and caught on CCTV.”

Frans Epentrius, 29, of Seven Acre Close, St Leonards, East Sussex, was charged with attempted shoplifting in relation to the incident on December 23 and both men admitted their offences when he appeared at Sevenoaks Magistrates’ Court on January 14.

Miss Kenny said Iileka and Epentrius were spotted in the store at 4.35pm on December 23.

She added: “Frans Epentrius picked up a small black Coach designer handbag and put it in a brown paper bag he was holding.

“He realised he’d been seen by staff and went behind a column and put the handbag on a different display and they then left the shop, but they were stopped by staff.

“They refused to wait for the police and they both ran off, but were subsequently caught and taken to North Kent police station.”

“CCTV was also supplied to the police and it was reviewed and the wire cutters were found in Iileka’s bag and he was charged with going equipped.

“The goods were not recovered for the December 4 incident and he (Iileka) has one other offence on his record, but it’s not related, it’s for travelling on the railway without paying the fare.

The court also heard that Epentrius has two convictions for seven previous offences but none of a similar nature.

Simon Patrick Pettican, representing Epentrius, said he was a father-of-two, but his children were in Africa with family.

He added: “He is an asylum seeker at the moment and his claim is currently being processed. He has an excess alcohol (conviction) on file and he’s not working at the moment.

“He was getting cash from the Salvation Army but that has stopped and the friend he lives with is supporting him now.

“It was a shot at getting some money (the thieving) and he has £419 outstanding on his fine’s account and that was for train evasion (not paying for the fare).”

A probation officer interviewed Iileka and said he had not initially been open with the reasons why he committed the offences but had later said it was so he could buy food and clothing as a friend had ordered particular items for him to steal.

The probation officer also told the court Iileka had now moved out of his Home Office-approved accommodation in North Yorkshire and was living with his partner in Crawley.

He got £40 a week from the Home Office to help him financially and that the train fare offence was committed when he had been on a trip to Cornwall and his lift back had got cancelled.

District Judge Nadeem Holland placed Epentrius on a 12-month community order which had one requirement of completing 60 hours of unpaid work.

He also placed Iileka on a high-level community order for 18 months for his two offences which will see him complete 180 hours of unpaid work.

Iileka wasn’t ordered to pay compensation for the goods he stole on December 4, because of his lack of means.