Leonard-Valter Tudor, 20, pictured, was jailed for shoplifting less than three days after arriving in Britain from Romania. Tudor claimed a Romanian man, who he does not know, offered him a job stealing from shops in Nottingham using a foil-lined bag

A Romanian was caught shoplifting less than 24 hours after arriving in Britain, a court has heard.

Leonard-Valter Tudor, 20, arrived in the UK on Friday and went to Yorkshire to meet a contact.

But the following day he was caught in the East Midlands, trying to steal £508 of goods from TK Maxx in Nottingham.

The father-of-one tried to use a foil-lined bag to interfere with the signals of security tags on the items.

He was arrested at the store and appeared on court on Monday, where he was detained in a young offenders institution for 16 weeks.

An accomplice managed to avoid arrest, Nottingham Live reported.

Sanjay Jerath, prosecuting, told the court: 'In interview, the defendant said he landed in the country the day before. He went to an address in Doncaster intending to find some work.

'He was approached by another Romanian man he doesn't know. There was the suggestion of employment in Nottingham of taking items from a shop and accepts he was opening bags and taking items.

'He had a foil lined bag and takes full responsibility for his action.'

Tudor was arrested after being caught shoplifting at TK Maxx in Nottinhgam less than 24 hours after he arrived in Britain from Romania

Tudor, 20, was helped by a Romanian interpreter in court. He admitted theft of accessories worth £508 and having a foil-lined bag.

District Judge Leo Pyle sent him to a young offenders' institution for 16 weeks and ordered him to pay a £115 government surcharge.

He told Tudor: 'The sentence should be a deterrent in your particular case.'

Neil O'Sullivan, mitigating, said Tudor became a father for the first time a fortnight ago.

He had the prospect of work in South Yorkshire and came to stay with a friend in the Doncaster area.

'Simply the promise of money led him to commit these offences. As one can imagine, he had no income whatsoever as he only landed on Friday.'

Nottingham Magistrates' Court, pictured, heard Tudor intends to live with a friend in Doncaster after his release from prison where he has the 'genuine' prospect of work

The defence lawyer continued: 'He was detained straight away by security staff. All the items were recovered.

'This was an enterprise he entered into with some reluctance, it is fair to say. In some ways, it was borne out of necessity.'

He said Tudor admitted the offences immediately and planned to return to South Yorkshire if released.

Mr O'Sullivan added: 'He tells me the prospect of work is a genuine one and is aimed simply to provide for his family in future.'

In 2013, police chiefs at Europol warned that Romanian pickpocketing gangs were flying into major European cities and 'getting home for tea' on budget flights.

Police said that, at that point, they had identified 240 organised crime gangs from Romania, many of whom had links around Europe.

There is no suggestion the thief in this week's case was part of such a gang.