A late-night cleaner at Heathrow Airport secretly swiped £2,643 worth of Camelot scratch cards while sweeping WH Smiths - cashing them in for £675.
Single mum Tracey Flitton, 39, of Birchdene Drive, Thamesmead was caught on CCTV clumsily trying to hide her face with a blue scarf, which quickly slipped off on camera.
She pleaded guilty today to stealing the lottery scratch cards in Terminal 4 between January 12 and February 4 and acquiring criminal property, namely the winnings.
Prosecutor Miss Fiona Willis told Uxbridge Magistrates Court: “This matter regards theft by an employee. She was a cleaner sub-contracted via a company called Turquoise.
“She took scratch cards from the display unit of the landside store on five occasions.”
WH Smiths realised scratch cards were missing on February 8 and began an internal investigation.
“The CCTV showed a cleaner removing large quantities of scratch cards from the display in the early hours of the morning and the company she worked for identified her.”
Jamaican-born Flitton, who claims she is stressed by her wayward 15 year-old daughter, snubbed a meeting on February 9 and never returned to the airport again.
“On the first CCTV clip she is seen sweeping the floor at 2.37am and going behind the counter while still holding her broom and taking scratch cards from the display and putting them into a small bag.”
Another clip showed Flitton in the deserted store at 2.16am removing cards and not paying for them.
“In the third CCTV clip she is seen wearing a blue scarf and after taking more scratch cards at 1.52am she removes the scarf, revealing her face,” explained Miss Willis.
The next day she repeated the theft. “She pulls a wad of scratch cards from the display.”
On April 6 Flitton agreed to be interviewed by Heathrow police. “She made full admissions and said she made about six hundred pounds by cashing in the winning tickets.
“They were cashed-out at retailers in rapid succession.
“This is an abuse of trust. She had access to the shop in the middle of the night when no one else was around.”
The first-time offender was bailed to Isleworth Crown Court for sentencing on June 5 after the magistrates ruled they had insufficient sentencing powers.
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