"CUNNING" Romanian pickpockets who preyed on Worcester's elderly are likely to be deported as Home Office bosses warn that the same fate awaits those who abuse 'our hospitality'.

Tabita Mihai and Florica Stan targeted vulnerable elderly people in Worcester and Droitwich, pretending to be charity workers while lifting cash from the wallets and handbags of their victims.

Both were jailed at Worcester Crown Court last week, recorder Allan Mainds imposing sentences long enough for them to be considered for deportation.

Their actions provoked an almost unanimous outcry and angry condemnation from our readers, many of whom said they should be deported immediately 'on the next plane'.

The Worcester News understands that any foreign national handed a custodial sentence is likely to be deported.

Kim Bishopp wrote on our Facebook page: "Utterly despicable behaviour. They should be on the first plane out of here."

Melissa Jane Flynn wrote: "Send them back and let their own country pay for them. They have cost enough money to put them through court. They should also have to repay the victims for the money taken."

Sam Gardner wrote: "Deport both and their families. Sad for those Europeans that do work hard here. I agree we have enough low lives of our own in this country to deal with."

Haroon Abid wrote: "Our elderly people deserve better. They worked very hard in their life. No one should be allowed to mess around with them."

Mark Hubbard said: "They should not be here costing the taxpayer money."

Samantha Lavender said: "They knew exactly what they were doing. Deport them!"

Wend Spittle said: "Send them home and bar them from entering the country again."

Their actions were branded 'wicked', 'vile' and 'despicable' and the story shared more than 120 times via Facebook since it was first published on Saturday.

A Home Office spokesperson was not able to confirm by our deadline at what stage the women would be deported.

But she said: "Foreign nationals who abuse our hospitality by committing crimes in the UK should be in no doubt of our determination to deport them.

"We have removed more than 41,000 foreign offenders since 2010, including 6,346 in 2016-17 - the highest number on record."

Between them the Romanian mothers stole £1,470 between January 11 and January 25 this year. Stan on her own stole a further £890 after following a woman from NatWest bank in The Cross in Worcester. She withdrew the money to buy Christmas presents.

Stan stole the cash while the woman was in Cookmate in the city centre after following her from the bank.

Stan was jailed for 16 months for six thefts and one attempted theft and Mihai for 12 months for five thefts and one attempted theft.

We reported how the women used clipboards to convince their victims they were collecting for charity before stealing from them while hugging them.

One of their victims was 82 years old.

Ranjit Lallie, for Mihai, said that her children had not been able to visit her while she had been in custody.

He said: "For a young mother that has made her time in custody all the more unbearable."

Mr Lallie said the mother-of-two had been forced to rely on her Romanian grandparents, also living in the UK, to look after her children.

"She is constantly pining for them. They are pining for their mother. She is deeply sorry" Mr Lallie told the court.

Mohammed Riaz, for Stan, said she stole because she could not meet the financial requirements of caring for her three children.

However, recorder Mainds interjected and said: "That never justifies theft."

The judge described the women as 'cunning', practised, efficient and accomplished pickpockets who had caused real trauma to their victims.

The woman who had £890 stolen by Stan said she felt 'sullied' by the experience.

She had even held open the door for the thief as she entered Cookmate only for Stan to bump into her and steal the Christmas cash.