TWO brazen thieves who emptied the contents of seven charity tins during a raid on a Hampshire garden centre turned themselves in after their crimes were exposed by the Daily Echo.

James Kellett and Paul Nobes were caught on a CCTV camera breaking into Allington Nurseries in Allington Lane, Fair Oak, where they stole a dummy firework worth £1.

The next night they returned. Kellett opened the charity tins one by one and put the contents in his pockets. Nobes was waiting outside in a getaway car.

An estimated £115 was stolen in handfuls of change destined for the Poppy Appeal, Macmillan Cancer Support, the PDSA, Great Ormond Street Hospital, Save the Tigers, Dr Barnardo's and Canine Partners.

The two, both 20, pleaded guilty to stealing the charity box money and a dummy firework during two burglaries at Allington Nurseries and £40 from the till in a burglary at Allington Pet Supplies.

David Foster, prosecuting at Southampton Magistrates' Court, said Allington Nurseries owner Stephen Goodridge spotted the pair thanks to his surveillance system. Moments later they ran away and Mr Goodridge discovered the empty charity tins that had previously been "full to capacity".

Mr Foster told the court how Kellett, of Pylands Lane, Bursledon, and Nobes, of Thurmell Close, Hedge End, turned up at Eastleigh police station shortly before 9am on the day their CCTV images were published in the Daily Echo.

Mike McGoldrick, mitigating, said that both men, who are of previous good character, had been "incredibly stupid" to carry out the burglaries because of "boredom".

He said: "They both come before you humiliated and ashamed."

He said neither of the men had made any financial gain from the burglary after leaving the penny-filled flowerpot at the premises and a trail of coins - a fact disputed by Mr Goodridge, who said after the case that only about £9 of the coins were left at the nurseries.

In court Kellett fought back tears as he said: "I would like to apologise to Mr Goodridge and the pet shop owner and the charities. I feel ashamed of myself. I apologise to my family."

Nobes, a retail assistant, who was smirking through some of the hearing, said: "I would like to apologise to the pet shop owner, Mr Goodridge and the charities.

"I would also like to apologise to my parents and my brother. I have lost a lot of friends over this. A lot of people won't talk to me. There is a good chance I am going to lose my job."

Presiding magistrate Chris Green said: "This was a deplorable act that was made much more serious by going back a second time and taking the charity box money that the public had given in good faith."

He imposed a 12-month community order on the pair and ordered them to pay £43 court costs and £20 compensation.

After the case Mr Goodridge, 50, said that the punishment was not severe enough.

He said: "You have got men the same age as these two who are losing their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan. These two men nicked money that was for those soldiers.

"I am seething that they have only been ordered to pay £20 compensation."