A woman from Neath Port Talbot has been jailed after stealing thousands of pounds from her employer.

44 year old Rebecca Hanford from the Skewen area had been working as a cashier at Arbourne's Store, on New Road, Skewen. She had been working there since 2010.

Up to September 2020, the business noted a shortfall of approximately £55,000 in their accounts. The business owners told court that they estimated that the amount of money taken could total up to £100,000.

She has been sentenced for 12 months in prison.

Rebecca Hanford's actions were not only criminal and selfish; they also had a detrimental impact on her work colleagues, whom placed under suspicion when the shortfall was discovered. 

She knew what she was doing was wrong, yet she continued. Even worse, she appears to have squandered a significant amount of the money that she stole through gambling. Her claims that she was spending the money on household bills simply did not add up.

She has now gone to prison as a result of her actions, which should be seen as a clear warning to anyone else thinking of participating in this criminal behaviour.