A BRAZEN thief strolled into an Inverclyde store and helped herself to more than £3,000 worth of beauty products.

Bridget McDonagh walked up to a display, opened up a large shopping bag and emptied the contents of two shelves into it.

McDonagh, 23, targeted Boots at the Gallagher Retail Park in Port Glasgow for the high-end cosmetics raid.

Greenock Sheriff Court heard how CCTV cameras captured her swiping the items within seconds before calmly walking out of the shop.

The stolen products have never been recovered.

Prosecutor Lindy Scaife said: "The value of the stolen items is £3,097.

"The accused was caught on CCTV pulling out a black shopping bag and clearing two shelves of fairly high value beauty products."

The court was told that McDonagh — who was absent from court — is currently on a community payback order (CPO) for a similar offence committed in Dumbarton.

Her lawyer, Edel McGinty, said of the Port Glasgow matter: "It is quite a significant value.

"Ms McDonagh pled guilty at the intermediate diet but it is appreciated that it is a high value."

McDonagh committed the offence on September 16 last year.

Solicitor Miss McGinty told the court that her client now resides in England and has experienced health difficulties related to her currently being pregnant."

Sheriff Sheena Fraser said: "Given her health and the fact that she is already on a CPO I will defer sentence in this case, notwithstanding the value of the products stolen, for good behaviour and a CPO progress report."

McDonagh, of Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, has been ordered to attend Greenock Sheriff Court to be sentenced on April 13 next year.