A pair of thieves used false barcodes to put two televisions though a supermarket till for just 40p.

Fraudsters Mathew Ferguson and Liam Gorrie took the flat-screen TVs, worth £467, from the Tesco Extra store in South Road, Dundee.

The city's sheriff court heard how instead of scanning the barcodes and paying full price, they entered incorrect barcodes to reduce the TVs to a fraction of their true cost.

Ferguson and Gorrie then put just 40p into the till and made off with the flat screens.

They were caught when Tesco workers realised what had happened and CCTV was reviewed showing the crime being committed.

Ferguson, 21, of North Lindsay Street, Dundee, and Gorrie, 22, of Strathairlie Avenue, Arbroath, pleaded guilty to a charge of fraud.

Gorrie also admitted obtaining a £329 TV by the same method on a separate occasion, paying just 20p.

A third accused, Kyle Christie, 23, of Adamson Court, Dundee, had his not guilty pleas to the charge accepted by the Crown.

Jim Caird, defending Ferguson, said: "He has no previous convictions. He is a single man who lives with his mother and is employed as a canvasser.

"He was given this numerical code to type in that 'magically' produces a lower price for the particular item. He very much regrets it now."

Solicitor advocate Kris Gilmartin, defending Gorrie, said: "Given his record I expect the court will require a report on him."

Sheriff Alastair Carmichael deferred sentence until later this month for social work background reports. The pair were released on bail.