A BANK worker has been charged with stealing more than £250,000 from elderly customers' accounts - with one victim who has since died allegedly losing £120,000.

Lesley Austin, 47, will appear in court later this week charged with 15 offences against five victims who were all customers at NatWest in Richmond, North Yorkshire.

The offences are said to have occurred over a seven-year period between November 2007 and August last year.

The woman, from Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, was arrested by North Yorkshire Police in September last year.

She was later charged with nine counts of theft by an employee.

It is alleged she stole more than £120,000 between 2007 and 2010 from an elderly man who lived in Richmond and has since died.

Prosecutors say the money was taken in 28 transactions over the three-year period.

Another alleged victim was a 54-year-old Richmond man who lost £75,000 in three thefts of £25,000 each.

It is claimed an elderly Northallerton woman lost £24,000 and a female pensioner from Richmond lost £9,500.

Mrs Austin, who no-longer works for the bank, also faces six counts of false accounting.

It is alleged she entered false withdrawals and cash credits for amounts varying from £3,000 to £8,000 on the account of an elderly Northallerton couple.

The majority of the offences are said to have taken place over two days in August 2008, with another occurring in October 2010.

NatWest said it could not comment on the allegations while legal proceedings were ongoing.

Mrs Austin is on bail and will appear at Northallerton Magistrates' Court on Friday.