A man and a woman are standing trial charged with a number of shop robberies in Maidenhead - including an incident where Sainsbury's branch was held at knifepoint.

Timothy Seale, 45, of Purssell Close, Maidenhead, and Natasha Carroll, 39, of St Patricks Close, Maidenhead, have been charged over a crime spree allegedly committed between late-November and early-December 2019.

They both deny conspiracy to commit robbery - and Seale has also been charged with dangerous driving and making off without payment.

Opening the trial today (May 21), prosecution barrister Terence Woods said that, over a period of weeks, a number of retailers - including a Sainsbury's, a Co-op and the Wine Cellar in Bridge Road - were targeted by thieves.

Mr Woods stated: "It's a feature of this case that the offenders are always in disguise, often with hoods up or hats on, with their faces covered - presumably because it's well-known that many of these premises are covered by CCTV."

The robberies were extensively documented by cameras inside the shops, but the offenders' masks made identifying them difficult.

In one incident, a pair of robbers - one armed with a blade - burst into a Sainsbury's branch in Maidenhead.

After holding the store up, they made off with a quantity of cash.

Seale and Carroll were linked to all the incidents by circumstantial evidence.

Mr Woods said that a breakthrough came on December 17, 2019, when police gave chase to a driver who made off at a petrol station without paying.

The suspect was seen speeding at 50mph in a 30mph zone, before going over a roundabout the wrong way.

They ultimately abandoned the Volkswagen Polo they had been driving, which was recovered by police.

The car was subsequently linked to Seale and Carroll, who were arrested.

Mr Woods said a bobble hat found in Carroll's handbag was found to resemble one worn by a shoplifter who had been caught on CCTV targeting a Co-op branch on December 6.

The defendants admitted their involvement in this raid.

The trial continues.