Four women have denied being involved in a shoplifting spree at a Norwich department store in which high-value items worth about £20,000 were stolen.

Antonela Busuioc, 26, Narcisa Constantin, 27, Narcisa Dragusin, 24, and Geogeta Necula, 25, have denied a string of shoplifting charges between February 1 and March 1 at the city’s John Lewis department store.

It is alleged they stole a haul of high-value items including Apple products worth £2,040 on one day and shoplifted a range of expensive perfumes worth £1,900 on another visit to the department store.

Two of the women are also said to have stolen smart watches worth more than £5,600.

The four women are also said to have stolen electrical equipment worth £1,882 on another day in March.

The four women, of no fixed address, appeared at Norwich Crown Court with the help of a Romanian interpreter.

They denied all the theft charges they faced, including the theft of Apple products worth £2,040 on February 29 this year. All four denied theft of electrical goods worth £1,000 on February 1 this year.

Necula and Busuioc denied stealing £1,000 worth of goods on February 9.

All four also pleaded not guilty to a charge of stealing electrical equipment worth £1,882 on March 1, along with another charge of stealing headphones and a smart watch worth £1,453.

The four women are also charged with stealing perfume worth £1,900 on March 1, this year.

Constantin and Dragusin are also charged with stealing smart watches worth £5,602 on February 29.

Duncan O’Donnell, for the prosecution, said the total amount of items stolen from the John Lewis Partnership amounted to about £20,000.

A trial date is set for March 22 next year and is expected to take about five days.

Judge Stephen Holt said there should be a further hearing in the case before trial to ensure all matters are in place.

He fixed for the four defendants to come back to court on March 8 and they were all granted bail.

Darren Snow appeared for Dragusin and Necula, and John Lucas appeared for Constantin and Rhys Rosser for Busuioc.