A TEENAGE girl who was celebrating the end of her GCSE examinations has been convicted of handling stolen goods in a Worcester nightclub.

The 17-year-old girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was found with another woman's handbag at the Torch nightclub last July, Droitwich Magistrates' Court were told yesterday.

She denied charges of handling stolen goods and theft from a person, claiming she was drunk and did not know how she came to be in possession of the bag.

Fellow clubber Nina Lydon discovered her bag was missing after leaving it with a pile of others when she went to dance.

One of her friends spotted it on the teenager's shoulder after a thorough search of the club. Miss Lydon said she then asked if she could look in the bag, and found a number of her possessions. But she said her wallet and its contents were missing.

The court heard a club bouncer was alerted and the police were called. However, the girl left before they arrived.

Miss Lydon said she met her as she walked home through Worcester town centre, and challenged her while a friend called the police again.

She said she asked her why she had taken the bag. She said she replied: "Why wouldn't I, it's for free," before contradicting herself by saying: "Why would I, I'm rolling in it."

PC Andrew Clarke, who arrested her, said she had been drinking but did not appear to be drunk.

In an interview, the girl, who was 16 at the time, first said she picked up the handbag by mistake, but then said it had been given to her.

In court, she claimed she had drunk more than she said she had when interviewed by police and said she could not remember much.

Abi Nixon, prosecuting, suggested she was pretending to be more drunk than she was to improve her case.

Andrew Childs, defending, said this was a bizarre and strange set of circumstances.

"None of us knows what went on in that club or why she made contradictory statements," he said.

Magistrates cleared the girl of theft but convicted her of handling stolen goods. She was given a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £230 costs.