A SUB-postmistress who ran a village post office stole more than £10,000 to supplement her income, a court heard.

When Royal Mail staff went to Toppesfield Post Office, near Halstead, to carry out an audit in August postmistress Jane Jervis told them she had taken £10,500 from the till, Colchester Magistrates’ Court heard.

Adam Harbinson, prosecuting on behalf of Royal Mail, said the audit revealed 30 printouts from the post office system showing she had been using post office money to pay certain household bills.

“She made full and frank admissions that since Christmas 2007 she had been stealing money from the post office to supplement her income,” he said.

Mr Harbinson said Jervis, 51, of Church Lane, Toppesfield, had been using a number of false accounting methods to cover up what she was doing.

She admitted a charge of stealing £10,519.89 belonging to the Post Office.

Mr Harbinson said the Royal Mail believed it was a breach of trust, it being a theft carried out by an employee, and there was a very real concern it would damage the opinion the public had of the company and their ability to trust it.

The court yesterday heard Jervis was the only person employed at Toppesfield Post Office, where she had been sub-postmistress for two years.

The case was adjourned to Chelmsford Crown Court on February 5 for sentencing to take place. She was released on bail.