A poverty-stricken mother faces jail today after trying to wheel nearly £250 worth of food and cleaning products through Tesco's front doors without paying.

Twenty-year-old Francesca Jenks filled up a trolley in a shopping spree at the Pinner Green store on August 12 before walking straight past the self-service desk and out the front door.

When confronted by security the mum-of-one produced an old receipt, before admitting to police that she was "hungry and had no money".

She had been taken to the supermarket on Ash Hill Drive by a friend who police said was dragged along to act as her getaway driver.

But CCTV footage showed her strolling out of the shop with £222.28 worth of goods stacked in the trolley - enabling staff to catch her before she made her escape.

Appearing at Harrow Magistrates' Court on Thursday last week, Ms Jenks, of Mountside, Stanmore, who has an 18-month-old child, pleaded guilty to theft and was ordered to return to the dock today (Thursday) for sentencing.

Inder Gohlar, prosecuting, said: "She was taken to Tesco by a friend in a car to ensure she had a getaway driver parked outside and we also know she has previous convictions for theft.

"She claims her benefits had been stopped and she had no money to feed her child but this is someone known to police.

"CCTV clearly shows the defendant pushing a trolley load of products straight through the self-service desk, which was used to detain her at the shop until police arrived."

The offence carries a possible penalty of up to six months in prison and presiding magistrate Sharon Goldstein reminded Ms Jenks of that.

She said: "This was a planned, organised theft of high-valued goods and there is an influencing factor here of your previous problems.

"This was an intentional act and you knew what you were doing. You should by no means rule out custody."