A trio of burglars who stole a £20,000 haul of makeup from a Hitchin pharmacy have pleaded guilty, and will be sentenced by a crown court judge.

Police arrested 30-year-old Florentin Ciobanu, 31-year-old Marius Ciobanu and 29-year-old Bogdan Florea on the side of a motorway on Sunday, less than an hour after their dawn raid on Boots in Hitchin High Street.

The three men – all of New Acres in Wokingham, Berkshire – pleaded guilty to burglary at Hatfield Remand Court on Monday. Florea also pleaded guilty to driving a silver Volvo along the A505 out of Hitchin without a licence or insurance.

The trio were arrested by police shortly after 5.30am on Sunday near Junction 13 of the M1, close to Milton Keynes.

Officers initially estimated the value of the lipsticks and other cosmetics at £5,000, but court papers indicate a value of £20,000.

The bench noted that there was a “high degree of organisation” involved in the theft of the goods and their intended disposal.

The three men were all remanded into custody and are set to be sentenced at St Albans Crown Court on February 23.