Two men who stole a £4,800 designer handbag from a boutique in Cobham have been sentenced following a police investigation into linked thefts across Surrey and London.

Jack Jones, 19, of Harrow, and Joshua Grant-Mackenzie, 22, of Feltham, both admitted stealing high-end handbags from Phoenix Style stores in Cobham and Wimbledon on January 13 and 14 this year.

The pair were sentenced at Guildford Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, April 29. Both were ordered to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work within 12 months, pay £1,250 in compensation, and have been banned from entering any Phoenix Style store for 18 months.

The Cobham theft occurred on Monday, January 13 at around 4.40pm. CCTV footage shows Jones browsing the Oakdene Parade store and speaking with a staff member before leaving. Around 20 minutes later, he returned with Grant-Mackenzie. While Jones distracted staff, Grant-Mackenzie approached a display near the entrance and used a tool to cut a security cable securing a Chanel Caviar handbag with silver hardware, before fleeing the store. The bag has not been recovered.

Elmbridge Borough Commander, Inspector Lucy Marriott, said: “Shoplifting continues to be a priority for my team, and we will always pursue those responsible for these thefts relentlessly. Retail crime has a devastating impact on local businesses and can leave staff feeling frightened in their workplace.

“We are committed to tackling this kind of criminality under our retail crime strategy – responding robustly, investigating thoroughly and working closely with retailers to prevent further thefts.”

Surrey Police have urged local businesses to report all incidents of shoplifting, emphasising the importance of intelligence-led policing to identify patterns and bring offenders to justice.

The court heard that both defendants had previous contact with police and that neither made any attempt to pay for the items taken.