A WOMAN who played a key role for a gang of travelling jewellery thieves has been jailed.

Claudia Rostas was recruited by the gang as she has a good grasp of the English language, Teesside Crown Court heard.

The 30-year-old Romanian, who has lived in England since she was seven, was one of four gang members who stole £8,250 worth of jewellery from Goldsmiths in Stockton in February after distracting staff.

Rachel Masters, prosecuting, said Rostas was also among a different gang of thieves who mad off with £6,258 worth of merchandise from a jewellers in Kent in May.

Miss Masters described the gang's approach as 'sophisticated' as they managed to steal the goods by distracting staff while they were wrapping the jewellery for them.

In mitigation, Simon Walker, said the mother-of-two had pleaded guilty to both charges of theft and had only joined in the gang's enterprise as she was in financial difficulty at the time.

He said: "She was recruited (by the gang) as her grasp of English was the strongest."

Sentencing her to two six-month concurrent terms in custody, Judge Peter Armstrong said: "I'm quite satisfied that you were recruited into this group because of your better English. You were not the leader of this group, you were being used to some extent."