A PARISH council clerk and school secretary has admitted stealing £220,000 of public money over years of theft and fraud.

In total about £1/2 million was involved, being moved from account to account.

Christine Rose, aged 52, of Long Hyde Road, South Littleton, pleaded guilty to 22 specimen charges, dating between 1991 and 1999, and asked for 672 others to be considered when she appeared at Evesham Magistrates Court last Thursday.

Magistrates decided their powers of punishment - 12 months in prison - were insufficient and sent her to Worcester Crown Court on January 26 for sentence. She was granted bail.

Jim Shaw, prosecuting, said for 15 to 20 years Rose was clerk to four parish councils: Offenham, South Littleton, Wickhamford and Honeybourne, and secretary at Offenham First School for 12 years.

He said: "They trusted her completely, including management of the bank accounts, minute books and other papers.

"Between 1991 and 1999, when the offences were discovered, she abused that trust by stealing money from the councils and the school.

"She profited herself in excess of £220,000 that went into her own bank account, though the total amount of money actually moved around through the various offences was over £500,000.

"It didn't all go to her but, in the course of a very sophisticated fraud, was moved around various bank accounts before some was stolen and put into her own bank account."

Mr Shaw said, in the normal course of business, the parish councils and school would not have had money of that value. To make it available she deceived other bodies so she could steal. These included securing loans from the Public Works Loan Board, dishonestly obtaining VAT rebates from Customs and Excise and payments into the school bank account from the county council.

"She committed other frauds to cover her deceit by forging documents, including signatures of parish councillors, council minutes and fraudulently making up bank statements, so councillors would get one set but another set would go to the District Auditor."

Mr Shaw said as a result of her activities, Honeybourne Parish Council had to increase its council tax, and Offenham school was unable to employ extra teachers as planned.

"There is a considerable feeling of betrayal and distrust locally because of what has occurred," he said.

Mr Shaw described to the court how Rose obtained loans from the PWLB for bogus work, forging signatures and minute books to indicate authorisation.

He said by forging signatures one cheque for £8,000 was used to buy a caravan, others were made out to her husband and went into their joint account - but he stressed they were without Mr Rose's knowledge.

Mr Shaw said cheques drawn on the school account had the forged signature of the head. There was a false invoice which deceived the school into paying money to the parish council. She also ordered items for her own use through the school.

John Brookes, for Rose, said it was right that about £220,000 had gone missing. It was not necessarily right the local community had to foot the bill because £115,000 was from the Treasury through the PWLB, £68,000 from Customs and Excise for VAT refunds, £30,000 from the county council, and Rose had put £8,000 of her own money back.

He said he understood the parish councils did not plan to repay any monies. "Somebody has lost, probably the general tax-payer rather than the local community," he said.

Mr Brookes said the same money had gone round time and time again, which was where the £500,000 figure came from, some of which had spun off into the wrong bank account.

"There is no suggestion Mr Rose knew what was going on," Mr Brookes added. "He is as much a victim as anyone else."