A BOOKKEEPER who plundered more than £90,000 from her employers has been jailed for two-and-a-half years.

Tracey Warren, 50, was meant to pay Direct Window Supplies Ltd's takings into the bank, but instead pocketed the cash during her 15 months of stealing.

And the mum was only caught out when she accidentally left the original paying in slip in an envelope after she had taken all the cash out for herself.

Warren, who earned £24,000 a year, claimed she had not kept any of the cash, giving it all away.

Claire Marlow, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court that the bank was concerned about a discrepancy in October last year and contacted the boss of the family firm.

They found an envelope containing cheques had two paying-in slips inside, one of which contained the details of cash to be deposited but no corresponding money.

Steven Hocking, who owns the Cheney Manor based company which employs 28 people, found out the initial slip had been filled in by his sister-in-law.

She had left it for Warren to pay in the following day but by the time it got to the bank two days later none of the cash was there.

At first a number of drivers were questioned by bosses before Warren was asked if she knew what happened and she admitted 'borrowing' the money.

She said she had managed to hide her deceit by falsifying entries in the bookkeeping software she used, deleting invoices.

When a forensic accountant looked through the books it was found she had siphoned off £89,770.23p between July 1, 2013 to October 15, 2014.

It was also discovered she had ordered £523.62p of stationery from the firm's supplier to be delivered to her home in six batches between May and October last year.

She told the police she was desperate for money and only started taking it after her husband lost his job and her daughter lost a baby.

Warren, of Courtenay Road, Walcot, pleaded guilty to theft and fraud.

As a result of her deception the court heard that the company was put under great stress and Mr Hocking said he had to dig into its reserves to keep it going.

Other members of staff also spoke of how they feared for their jobs had she not been caught out by a 'silly mistake'

Sally Donaldson, defending, said: "It didn't appear to be particularly sophisticated: she put the money in her handbag and took it home.

"It is unfortunate it was able to go on for so long, it would have stopped had she been confronted.

"She was able to take a significant sum of money for somebody who was earning £24,000. It went on and on. She was doing the same thing every week."

She said that her client did not have any of the money she had taken and insisted she had given it all away.

"She kept none: all the money went in cash and gifts to a man. She also tells me to a large extent she can't remember what she was doing or why she was doing it," said Ms Donaldson.

She said Warren, who had worked all of her life, has huge debts and was almost certainly facing bankruptcy.

Jailing her Recorder Ian Lawrie QC said: "Mrs Warren, I am going to be blunt with you because it seems bluntness is the only way to get through to you: you are a thoroughly dishonest individual.

"What you did was appalling because it is a small company and they did trust you to a considerable extent.

"The fact that you say you cannot explain it, I can't accept. Why you took the money is neither here nor there, you did so and over a long period of time."

He also ordered that £9,500 found in her home when she was arrested is handed over to the company as compensation.