A teenager broke into her grandfather's neighbour's homes to steal money and bank cards before transferring funds into her own account.

Abbie Bourn, of Stanley Street, Lowestoft, admitted burglary after stealing two bank cards from a flat in the town and two counts of fraud by false representation after withdrawing £200 and £50 with the cards on January 29 and 30.

Appearing at Great Yarmouth Magistrates' Court on April 1, the 19-year-old also asked for 13 further offences to be taken into consideration when sentencing.

These included attempting to withdraw £100 from one stolen bank card on January 29, and attempting to withdraw £1,500, £1,400, £580, £300, £200, and two lots of £50 from a second stolen card on January 30.

She also admitted an attempted burglary on January 31, two counts of burglary where she stole £45 and £30 from purses, using the card to buy £10 worth of Vodafone credits online, and attempting to use the card on the internet to buy goods worth £54.99.

Aside from the Vodafone credits, the attempts to withdraw cash or use the card online failed after the owner raised concerns and transactions were declined.

Ian Fisher, mitigating, said: 'She was arrested because, very amateurishly, the money she obtained was transferred into her own account.

'It was not particularly sophisticated and when enquiries were made, it flagged her up.

'She felt very bad about doing what she did and wanted to own up.

'The accommodation block where these offences happened is lived in by her grandfather and that is how she was acquainted with them.

'On one day she went in and pinched some money and, having commenced that behaviour, she found herself unable to stop.

'She was struggling to support herself and this was just a case of temptation. She was relieved when she could unburden herself with these full admissions.

'Having come down this route once, she is most unlikely to come back to court again.'

Bourn, who previously did cleaning work for some of her grandfather's neighbours, was handed a 12 month community order requiring her to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work and complete 25 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

She was also ordered to pay a total of £335 in compensation for the money stolen. No order was made for court costs or a victim surcharge.