A college secretary who plundered £37,000 to spend on home improvements has avoided jail and does not have to pay back a penny.

Carol Nicholls, 46, of Brendan, Laindon, duped professors at Queen Mary's College in East London into signing paperwork authorising payment for freelance photographic work she never did.

She spent the cash on building a conservatory, an advanced central heating system and new kitchen units.

Her barrister insisted the cash was not frittered away on luxuries but "necessities".

Yesterday (THURS) at Southwark Crown Court, Nicholls was sentenced to a 240-hour community punishment order and was not told she does not have to pay anything back.

Mr Recorder Gregory Mitchell QC, said: "In these circumstances, a court would often impose a custodial sentence upon a person such as yourself for abusing a position of trust.

"You committed these offences over a substantial period of time and received a large amount of money in the process.

"However, having listened to the submissions made on your behalf I have decided to take a more lenient course with you.

"This is for mostly compassionate reasons connected with your with your personal circumstances.

"You have lost your job, and you have a partner who is unwell because he suffered a brain haemorrhage from which he is partially sighted, and requires a lot of looking after."

Nicholls sobbed as the judge declined to order her to pay £1,600 costs.

She had claimed she earnt the money legitimately after working on prestigious university projects for BAE Systems and the British Olympic Bobsleigh Team.

But a jury found Nicholls guilty of 19 counts of false accounting and obtaining money transfers by deception.

She denied the charges.