A GANG of thieves who stole high value iPhones from two Kendal shops have been sent to prison.

Marradona Constantin, 27, Christian Dumitru, 28, and 25-year-old Germanas Stefan each received 30-month jail terms at Carlisle Crown Court today.

They had been convicted after trial of two theft charges, handsets having been stolen from Kendal's Carphone Warehouse and Vodafone stores on March 2.

The court heard Constantin distracted staff in the two outlets, while his partners-in-crime removed iPhone 7 devices with tools and replaced them with fakes.

The total value of the trio's loot was said to be more than £2,000, and the phones were never recovered.

They were brought to justice after a Ford Focus they used in the town was spotted on CCTV and pulled over in Cheshire the following day.

Recorder Michael Murray concluded the gang members had shown "no remorse" for their criminal conduct, and said deterrent jail sentences were needed.

Constantin, of Norman Road; Dumitru, of Nutfield Gardens; and Stefan, of Henley Road, all Ilford, East London, each had previous convictions for stealing.

"It is clear to me that you regarded Kendal as a place to carry out serious thefts, and drove many miles for that purpose," Recorder Murray told them.

"It was carefully planned, well organised and determined."