A 23-year-old barmaid who was left in charge of a city centre pub for the weekend used money from the takings to gamble on a new fruit machine, a court heard.

Rebecca Jones, of Lear Close, Worcester, denies a charge of theft from the Cricketers pub in Angel Street last February.

Stefan Kolodynski, prosecuting, told Worcester Crown Court that Kim Dowling, who had been licensee of the pub for 27 years, went away on the weekend of February 19-21 with her husband.

Barmaid Miss Jones, who had worked on and off for the pub for six years and full-time since August 2009, was left in charge, with responsibility for the keys and the takings.

When Mrs Dowling, who has since died, got back and checked the takings, she found they were down on the average for a Saturday, the busiest day of the week, and there was no till reading.

It was not possible to tell how much of a shortfall there was but she said in a statement the average takings for a Saturday were more than £1,300 and there was £478 in the safe.

The new fruit machine, which would normally have about £500 in it, was found to have more than £800 when it was checked five days later.

Mr Kodolynski said CCTV cameras in the pub had shown Miss Jones playing on the fruit machine over the weekend.

Miss Jones told police that the takings had been over £1,000 and she had put the money in the safe.

She said she did not know what had happened to it and claimed Mrs Dowling had made up the allegation because the pub was in financial difficulties.

The trial continues.