Two men with a female appearance and donning women’s clothes were remanded in custody after denying a series of thefts, including one allegedly committed just minutes after they were placed on probation.

Jason John Azzopardi, 39, from Paola, and Natale Bonello, 40, from Marsascala, denied attempting to steal from a Welsh tourist on Wednesday afternoon.

The two unemployed men were also charged with stealing €180 in cash from a vegetable hawker as he was serving clients in December 13 Road, Nadur in the morning of July 31.

Later that day, they allegedly stole cash from Mizzi Hardware Store in Kerċem Road, Victoria and, on June 11, the prosecution alleges they took about €400 from JA Vella Households in St Paul Street, Valletta.

The pair were further charged with breaching a number of previous court orders, including a probation order handed down a few minutes before the June 11 theft.

They also denied handing stolen property.

Jeane Harris, 76, and her sister, Annette Willetts, 70, told Magistrate Natasha Galea Sciberras they were on a bus travelling from St Julian’s to Sliema lunchtime on Wednesday. The bus was packed and there was nowhere to sit. They said the accused, who they constantly referred to as females, twice told them: “Ladies, come here,” leading them to believe there was a seat where they could sit. But when they approached, they realised there were no seats and they had to hold on because the bus had started moving by that time.

All of a sudden, Ms Willetts said she saw Mr Bonello put his hand inside her sister’s handbag where she had a purse containing €600. They moved away from the two men and went near the female bus driver who, upon being told about the attempted theft, locked the bus doors and called the police.

Policemen arrived about 20 minutes later and the two men were arrested on suspicion of attempted theft.

No request for bail was made and the two men were remanded in custody.