A TRUSTED employee stole more than £100,000 from nurseries which care for babies and toddlers in Worcester and Malvern.

Jane Myhill was working for Worcester and Madresfield Early Years Centres when she stole £102,000 from the award-winning children's day care nurseries. Opened in 1994 by Alice Bennett, the Madresfield centre, near Malvern, has received six outstanding OFSTED reports. The Worcester centre, located in Malvern Road, Lower Wick, was opened by Alice Bennett in 2015, the company website claiming it is fast earning 'the same enviable reputation for outstanding care.' The softly-spoken 55-year-old defendant admitted theft by employee and theft from a person when she appeared before magistrates in Worcester yesterday. The theft by employee involved £27,456 stolen from Alice Bennett in Worcester between April 14, 2015 and August 31, 2019.

She further admitted theft in Malvern between January 1, 2015 and October 1, 2019, this time involving £74,721, also stolen from Alice Bennett.

The Worcester News understands Myhill had been a trusted member of staff who used the company database, managed invoices and was responsible for collecting fees for children, keeping the accounts at Worcester and Malvern. Myhill, who had been living at Cowleigh Road in Malvern, gave a new address of The Croft in Cromer, Norfolk. Shafquat Reaz, prosecuting, said: "A sum of over £100,000 has been stolen from the company accounts. On the facts this is an abuse of trust over a long period."

He argued the case fell outside the jurisdiction and sentencing powers of magistrates, asking it to be sent to Worcester Crown Court.

Sean Logan, defending, said he had no representations with regard to to the venue for sentence. He said wished to place on record that the defence had not yet received a detailed accountant's report. "This is a case where she fully intends to repay the sum of money," he said, telling the court that she had ring-fenced funds to allow this to happen. He requested a full pre-sentence report be prepared by the probation service ahead of a hearing at Worcester Crown Court on February 19. He said: "A full report would be helpful due to certain strains that my client has been under in terms of her mental health."

Myhill was granted unconditional bail to attend the next hearing.