A Winchester woman has been sentenced to 200 hours of community work after stealing £2,450 from an elderly man.

Maria Butt, 21, of no fixed address, was employed as a cleaner at the 90-year-old man’s home, when she took the money on May 15 last year.

George May phoned the police after he became concerned that some of his life savings, which were kept in a suitcase under his bed, were missing.

Police arrived shortly afterwards and arrested Butt as she was leaving his property. They found the money stashed in several envelopes on her.

Winchester Crown Court heard that the pensioner had worked until the age of 88, and was saving the money to help build a children’s school in Plymouth.

Butt pleaded guilty to a charge of theft. All the money was recovered.

In mitigation, Mrs Aspinall- Miles, said that Butt was in considerable debt and was “deeply ashamed” of what she had done.

Judge Patrick Hooton, sentencing her to a community order to complete 200 hours of unpaid work, said: “This was utterly despicable.

“If you ever do something like this again you will get a long time in prison.

“You should be thoroughly ashamed of yourself.”