A SUPERMARKET worker who stole almost £7,000 from tills was found to have £80 tucked in her bra on the day she was caught.

Jane Chatburn, 52, used an unauthorised ‘supervisor override’ code to access checkout tills at Asda in Saltney between January and September last year.

She pleaded guilty to theft at Chester Magistrates Court on Friday (February 15) and was sentenced to a 12-month community order with 120 hours of unpaid work.

Prosecuting, Natalie Cassidy said senior staff at the supermarket noticed money was going missing and launched an investigation.

Analysis of camera footage showed Chatburn opening tills and removing cash on a number of occasions in September 2018.

Towards the end of that month security staff carried out a spot-check at which point the defendant admitted having £80 concealed in her bra and confessed to all the thefts.

The mother-of-three, of Mill Cross, Waverton, Chester, resigned from her job and police were informed.

Miss Cassidy told the court that Chatburn had swiped up to £200 at a time, taking a total of £3,391 from one till and £3,492 from another. The investigation was also said to have cost Asda £2,695.

Defending, Neil Catherall stressed that Chatburn had no previous convictions and was devastated she was about to lose her good character after 52 years.

She had encountered financial difficulties since her husband left her 10 years ago and was struggling under the pressure of mounting pay-day loan repayments.

“She found herself in some sort of spiral, desperate and stealing from her employer,” Mr Catherall said. “It was the level of her desperation that caused her to commit the offences.”

The solicitor said Chatburn was now holding down two jobs, at a garage and a hospital, working 12 in every 14 days to repay Asda and loan companies.

She was “horrified” to be told how much she had stolen over nine months last year and was very concerned about her children and parents finding out about her offending.

Besides the community order, magistrates also ordered Chatburn to pay court costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of the same amount.