A 'calculated' fraudster has been convicted for stealing more than £1 million from an oil and gas company while working as its payroll officer.

Over a four year period, Pauline Elfreda Barrett, of Haywain Close, Kingsnorth, Ashford, transferred 28 payments to her own bank account - totalling £1.3 million - from her employer Saipem Limited, based in Kingston.

The 55-year-old pleaded guilty to fraud at Kingston Crown Court on Friday.

The court heard that Barrett edited emails from Saipem Limited's accountants so that it appeared that they were receiving demands for payment from HM Revenue & Customs.

The payments were approved but the beneficiary account details were in fact Barrett's.

"For four years, Barrett abused her position. Her theft was calculated" - Det Sgt Mick Walker

The payments were made between November 2010 and September 2014.

She was charged with 10 counts of fraud by false representation and one count of theft.

These were merged into one count of fraud by abuse of position.

Detective Sergeant Mick Walker, of the new Metropolitan Police Service's Fraud and Cyber Crime Team, said: "For four years, Barrett abused her position.

"Her theft was calculated.

"She first made demands for small sums of money as she wanted to test the water.

"As her confidence grew, so did her demands. The largest payment she fabricated was for around £80,000."

Barrett has been remanded in custody, to appear for sentencing at Kingston Crown Court on Monday, March 2.