Shropshire post office manager stole cash to spend on lingerie

A Shropshire post office manager stole more than £5,000 of its takings and went on a shopping spree at lingerie stores Ann Summers and La Senza.

Naomi Tees also stayed in hotels with the money she had stolen from the Stafford branch, and paid off her energy bills. Tees, 32, was given a suspended prison sentence when she appeared at Cannock Magistrates Court yesterday.

She had claimed she had financial difficulties. Tees, of Six Ashes Road, Six Ashes, Bridgnorth, took the money from the store based at WH Smith in Greengate Street. She admitted committing fraud while in the position of branch manager, where she was expected to safeguard, not act against, the financial interests of The Post Office and WH Smith, and dishonestly made a gain of £5,598.76.

Tees was given a 26-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 mon-ths, with a supervision requirement. She must undertake 300 ho- urs unpaid work, repay £5,000 to the Post Office and pay £85 costs.

The fraud happened between May and November 2009.

Miss Claire Spooner, prosecuting, said it was only when an auditor examined the unit that she admitted the offence to another manager, and was later arrested.

"She was a manager, not just an employee, and it has also taken her a number of months to admit it," Miss Spooner said.

Mr Mike Wetton, for Tees, said his client was "extremely sorry".

He said she was not good at looking after her finances and since moving out of her parents' home had got into difficulty paying the bills.