A CLUB stewardess who stole over £28,000 walked free from court today - because she owned up immediately.

Wendy Horsley, 44, who was stewardess of Belle Vue Social Club in Hartlepool, had also waited two years to be sentenced, said the judge.

She had been the stewardess for eight years when the theft was discovered in November 2005, said prosecutor David Lamb.

She used the money to pay off her debts but since then her home had been repossessed for mortgage arrears, Teesside Crown Court was told.

The judge Recorder Martin Bethel QC said that she had prevented suspicion falling on any other employees by owning up immediately.

The judge told her: "I have seen very many cases of this type over the years, and I don't remember very many cases when people made admissions as promptly as you did."

Mr Lamb said that Horsley first admitted the theft to the club's bookkeeper Gwen Watson when she asked to see the bank paying-in books.

Horsley became extremely upset and she said that she had taken £26,000 because she was in debt.

Then she told police that she had stolen approximately £30,000 but she was £2,000 out on both occasions.

Mr Lamb added that the club chairman David Tunney said that the impact of her crime had been very significant. If it had happened in the last 10 years it could have closed the club.

Robin Denny, defending, said that Horsley got into debt after separating from her husband when she had to take out a mortgage on a new home.

He added: "She has had the worry of this over her head for such a long time, when she was admitting at every stage what she had done.

"She has shown genuine remorse for what she has done and she has lost a great deal of respect."

The judge told her: "I say straight away that I am not going to impose an immediate prison sentence today..

"It must have been a huge worry to think that that might have been the result of today's hearing. What you did was to commit an extremely serious offence over a period of time."

The judge said that the club could taken a civil action against her to recover the money.

Horsley of Bede Grove, Hartlepool, was given a six months jail sentence suspended for 12 months with supervision and 100 hours unpaid work after she pleaded guilty to stealing £28,413.22 between 31 December 2004 and 28 November 2005.

She was not ordered to pay compensation.