A woman who stole thousands of pounds worth of designer jewellery from her employer at has been convicted.

Lavanyah Anandarooban was exposed after an internal investigation found she was responsible for stealing items to the value of approximately £12,000 from World Duty Free, in the south terminal of Gatwick Airport, between January and July this year.

These included Michael Kors jewellery and watches, Pandora bracelets and charms, a large amount of Swarovski items and a pink Radley purse.

Police were called to arrest Anandarooban at the airport on July 25 and the items were seized from the bedroom of her flat in Erskine Road, Walthamstow, London, following a search of the address later the same day.

At Crawley Magistrates' Court on Wednesday (August 10), she pleaded guilty to theft by employee and was sentenced to a community order, requiring her to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work. She was also ordered to pay £85 costs and a £60 victim surcharge.

Sergeant Darren Taylor, of the Gatwick Airport Policing Team, said: "This conviction sends a clear message that theft on any scale – whether you are a passenger or an employee at Gatwick Airport – will not be tolerated.

"The vast majority of items stolen by Anandarooban have been recovered and returned to World Duty Free.

"Anandarooban pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity, allowing the investigation to be brought to a quick conclusion.

"The encouraging thing about her sentence is she is required to carry out unpaid work, which will benefit not only the community, but her as well. Hopefully, she will learn from this and never come to our attention again.”