A WOMAN stole hundreds of pounds from an elderly couple she was paid to look after, a court heard yesterday.

Allison Pattinson worked for Carewatch, an agency in Newton Aycliffe which provided people to work for the elderly and infirm.

Paul Newcombe, prosecuting, said Pattinson worked for an elderly couple, aged 76 and 77, one of whom had Alzheimer's disease and the other Parkinson's disease.

The couple came to trust Pattinson, 30, and looked forward to her daily visits.

But Mr Newcombe told Teesside Crown Court they noticed Pattinson started to "linger" in their bedroom, and their daughter noticed money began to go missing from her mother's purse.

The police were called, the serial numbers of the money in the woman's purse were checked and a surveillance camera set up.

Pattinson visited the house three times that day to care for the couple and £20 was found to be missing from the woman's purse.

The defendant was caught on camera stealing the money, which was found in her own purse.

Pattinson, of Ashgrove, Spennymoor, admitted the theft and told police she had stolen about £300 over three months, starting in November last year.

Aisha Wadoodi, for Pattinson, said her client was £3,000 in debt but was willing to pay compensation at £5 a week.

Judge Esmond Faulks told Pattinson that "in the old days" she would have gone to prison for such a "despicable" crime.

He ordered her to pay £300 compensation and placed her on a combination order of 12 months community rehabilitation and 100 hours community service.