A mother and daughter were this morning acquitted of having stolen €400 from a Russian tourist at the Crown Hotel in St Paul's Bay.

Emanuela and Kirsten Camilleri, aged 39 and 24 respectively, had been accused of taking the money from his bedside table.

The two were employed in housekeeping and had cleaned the room when the money was stolen.

The Russian man had alleged that he went to his room to pick up his passport so that his tour guide could book an excursion to Sicily. He found the two accused in the room and as he entered the elder one left.

The court in acquitting the two said he had doubts on the credibility of the victim, and no one else had identified the accused.