A trusted friend who stole money from an elderly woman has been ordered to pay back more than £60,000.

Sandra White, 56, of Hughes Drive, Wainscott, received 106 cheques over between 2010 and 2012 but at least 22 had been altered.

A confiscation hearing at Maidstone Crown Court last Tuesday 26 ordered White to surrender £62,137 under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

The court heard she was a long term friend of the victim, who has since died, and was trusted to manage their finances.

In June 2012 however the victim’s carers noticed numerous discrepancies between money debited from her bank account and stubs in her cheque book.

White admitted one count of theft and received a one year sentence, suspended for two years, following a hearing at Maidstone Crown Court in November 2017.

Police financial investigators continued to investigate, leading to the forfeiture hearing.

The new order dictates that money White illegally gained must be surrendered within three months. Failure to comply will lead to a nine month prison sentence.

Detective Chief Inspector Lee Morton, from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, said: "White would have clearly been aware of the victim’s vulnerabilities and chose to betray more than 10 years of trust for her own benefit.

"It would not be right for her to keep her ill-gotten gains and I am pleased that we have been able to recover a substantial amount of money, which will be returned to estate of the victim."