A WOMAN who stole almost £3,000 from a trusting friend was told by a judge she had committed a "dreadful" crime.

Amanda Hughes, 50, pleaded guilty to two counts of theft when she appeared at Carlisle Crown Court last Friday.

Hughes stole £2,949.88 last year from Linda Jepson, who was said to consider the defendant to be a "close and personal friend".

The offence was committed between April 22 and July 1. However the victim, of Grange, contacted police after noticing unauthorised withdrawals from her bank account.

Hughes was then seen on CCTV footage attending cash machines at the times money was removed.

Recorder Mr Kevin Grice told the hearing: "They were friends. This lady (Hughes) was entrusted with the relevant financial details and control which, initially, she exercised properly and honestly.

"But after a period of time that converted into a dishonest appropriation for her own purposes of just under £3,000."

Hughes was said to have a "highly unattractive" criminal record. However, Mr Grice noted that, with the exception of a shoplifting offence, in 2008, she had otherwise been out of trouble for more than a decade.

Mr Neil Ronan, defending, said Hughes was the mother to three grown-up children, and worked in a shop at a south Cumbria holiday park where she had been named "employee of the month".

Mr Ronan said: "The offence itself is an offence where the less said about it the better. Ultimately she has shown a degree of insight and contrition in relation to this."

Mr Grice gave Hughes, of Church Road, Allithwaite, a community order as a punishment. She must observed a two-month night-time curfew and fully repay the money taken.

He told Hughes "It is, in my view, a very sad case indeed. This was a dreadful thing to do, to steal from your friend like that."