SYMPATHETIC Shuttle readers have rallied around a woman who resorted to stealing the cheapest food in a store because, it was alleged, she was hungry and had not eaten for days.

Louisa Sewell was the latest victim of benefit sanctions to appear before magistrates when she stole a four pack of Mars bars, worth just 75p, from Heron Foods in the Swan Centre, Kidderminster, on June 22.

But Chairman of the magistrates Maurice Lashford took no pity on the poverty-stricken woman, who's defence solicitor said she took the cheapest item she could see in the store to eat herself because she was so hungry, saying the bench did "not readily accept you go into a shop to steal just for being hungry."

This comment as well as the fines, which totalled £328.75, imposed on her sparked outrage from Shuttle readers and they rallied round her defending her actions.

On The Shuttle's Facebook page, Simon Jon Tolley said: "Shame on Kiddy courts and Heron for this. The woman needs help not bloody punishment by those who don't know what poverty and hunger is."

Nat Halfjob said: "Maybe she stole something costing 75p as she knew it was wrong, but was starving - better than stealing loads. Those high in society who don't know what it feels like to be hungry can't show compassion as they don't understand what it's really like to hit rock bottom."

On The Shuttle's website, Rita Jelfs said: "Clearly this woman didn't have the capacity, or personal contacts to be able to access food. She's ended up in a 19th-century situation. It was accepted that she had not eaten for a couple of days. I think if any excuse is valid, it's that a person has not eaten for a couple of days. She must have been desperate. Magistrate Lashford appears to be too removed from her situation to understand her desperation. He also appears to be unable to show any empathy either. Clearly this could be a 'slippery slope'."

A number of people also commented on the punishment being disproportionate to the crime, which was caught on CCTV.

On Facebook, Sara L Phillips-Ritchey said: "It's very hard for me to understand the logic of fining for poverty based offences."

Chris Price said how he would have helped Sewell had he seen her in such need. He said: "So slapping a fine on a lady who has nothing is going to make the situation better isn't it? If I was in the shop of have just bought them for her, surely a bit of compassion from the shop owners wouldn't have gone amiss here?"

The 32-year-old had been given food bank vouchers but it was closed when she went.

Sewell, of Comberton Road, Kidderminster, pleaded guilty to theft when she appeared at Kidderminster Magistrates' Court on Thursday, August 6.