A senior council officer has appeared in court charged with defrauding her employer out of almost £20,000.

Nicola Scott appeared before Teesside Magistrates’ Court accused of fraud by abuse of position over an eight-month period.

The 47-year-old Middlesbrough Council employee pleaded not guilty to the offence and will go on trial at Teesside Crown Court.

Scott, of Downside Road in Acklam, Middlesbrough, is accused of dishonestly defrauding the local authority out of £18,821.15.

Read more: Tributes paid to boy, 13, who died in River Tyne incident as family 'heartbroken'

The charge she is facing reads - between 01/04/2020 and 31/12/2020 at Middlesbrough committed fraud in that, while occupying a position, namely a senior officer for Middlesbrough Council, in which you were expected to safeguard, or not to act against, the financial interests of Middlesbrough Council, you dishonestly abused that position intending thereby to make a gain, namely, for yourself of £18,821.15.

Scott was granted unconditional bail until she appears in court next month.

Keep up to date with all the latest news on our website, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

You can also follow our dedicated Teesside Facebook page for all the latest in the area by clicking here.

For all the top news updates from right across the region straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here.

Have you got a story for us? Contact our newsdesk on newsdesk@nne.co.uk or contact 01325 505054