John Lewis staff fired for 'ugly' hoax

Two John Lewis employees have been fired after the elaborate theft scam they were running was uncovered.

Lavinia Kitching and Ruth Vaughan, alleged by The Daily Mail to be a couple, were both staff members in the returns section of the John Lewis warehouse in Shirley, West Midlands.

Birmingham Crown Court  heard that the pair would “splash out” on expensive items from John Lewis such as Armani watches, MacBooks and iPads, and then put the items through the store’s return system while actually keeping the goods.

They would then sell the goods on their personal eBay accounts, and pocket the cash.