TWO friends with almost 150 previous offences for dishonesty appeared in court after this time attempting to steal Blu-ray players and a laptop from a supermarket.

Bedminster duo Kelly McCarthy and Claire Dibble went into Sainsbury's in Winterstoke Road empty-handed, but left with carrier bags stuffed with stolen goods, Bristol Magistrates' Court heard.

McCarthy, 34, of Martock Road, admitted stealing two Blu-ray players worth £260 and Dibble, 32, of Dean Crescent, admitted stealing a £350 laptop on December 27 last year.

Dibble also pleaded guilty to a breach of a tagged curfew that had previously been put in place.

Andrea Edwards, prosecuting, said the women had gone into the supermarket at about 12.45pm.

McCarthy selected a black coat from the clothing section of the store, then they went to the electronics aisle and selected the stolen items.

They both went into an aisle not covered by CCTV and when they were again seen on the store's security cameras they were carrying black carrier bags which appeared full.

They left the store, but were stopped by security guards who had been watching them on CCTV.

The police were called and the pair were taken to a police station, where they admitted what they had done.

Dibble, who has two 11-year-old daughters, has 71 previous dishonesty offences dating back to 1995, the court was told.

She committed this latest offence while subject to a community order and a tagged curfew which had both been put in place as punishment for shoplifting offences.

McCarthy, who lives with her partner and children, aged 18, seven and 15 months, has 77 similar offences dating back to 1993.

She committed the theft from Sainsbury's while on license for a previous shoplifting offence.

Dianne Heys, defending, said both women were recovering drug addicts who were both taking the heroin substitute methadone.

Of McCarthy, she said: "She has had an entrenched difficulty so far as drug use is concerned but that is being addressed."

Of Dibble, she said: "She is very disappointed with herself."

The court heard Dibble hoped to move into independent accommodation soon from the hostel where she was living, and saw her daughters as the motivation for keeping out of trouble.

The chairman of the bench of magistrates told both women they were lucky not to be sent to prison.

Dibble was given a nine-week curfew between 6pm and 6am for the theft and another four weeks for breaching her previous curfew.

She must pay £85 in court costs.

McCarthy was given a nine-month tagged curfew from 6pm to 6am and told to pay the same amount in court costs for the crime.