TWO 13-year-old girls befriended a pensioner then stole cash and cigarettes from her house when she was out, a court heard yesterday.

The teenagers, from Darlington, would regularly visit 76-year-old Doreen Spence because she allowed them to smoke, the town's youth court heard.

Magistrates yesterday warned the girls of the seriousness of their crime and sentenced them to referral orders and their parents to nine- month parenting orders.

The girls, who cannot be named for legal reasons, developed a relationship with Ms Spence, from Holgate Moor Green, Darlington, and would run errands for her and keep her company.

Ciaran Grogan, prosecuting, said the woman kept her money in a bedroom and a third girl, who is appearing before magistrates separately, had seen where the woman kept her money in her bedroom.

During a visit on November 6 last year she took the door key, magistrates heard.

Later that day, the teenagers went into the house when Ms Spence wasn't there and stole cash and 100 cigarettes, together worth £189.30.

Magistrates were told that both girls had been led by the third teenager, although they admitted sharing the money and spending it that night at the town's bonfire event in South Park.

Rachel Steinburg, for one of the girls, said: "She went with the other girls to the house simply because it was somewhere to hang out. The woman allowed them to smoke cigarettes. This was unknown to her mother."

Rory Todd, for the other defendant, said there was nothing sinister about the girls befriending the woman.

Both girls admitted trespassing at the house and stealing the goods. One admitted an additional charge of criminal damage after writing her name with her zip on the cell wall at Darlington Police Station following her arrest.

Chairman of the magistrates' bench, John Robinson, said: "This is an extremely serious, serious crime. It is a serious breach of trust.

"We are also concerned that 13-year-old girls are smoking."

They were each sentenced to a nine month referral order and told to pay £63.10 compensation to Ms Spence, plus £60 costs.

One girl's mother and the other's father were given nine month parenting orders.