A Post Office manager has been spared jail after losing £50,000 of her employer's cash.

Margaret Sowinska, 46, admitted two counts of false accounting while working at the post office in Martin's newsagent, Banbury Road, Summertown, Oxford.

Sowinska, of Willow Way, Ambrosden, was given a 12-month suspended jail term at Oxford Crown Court today. The money has never been found and charges of theft will lie on the file.

Judge Christopher Compston would not order Sowinska to pay compensation, but left the issue open for her employers to pursue a civil claim.

He said: "I'm not saying you got away with £50,000, but on the other hand I am not saying you didn't. I can't get blood from a stone and make a compensation order when you cannot pay it."

Adrian Chaplin, prosecuting, told the court a surprise post office audit last October showed Sowinska had changed banking records to hide a missing £50,260.91.

Colin McCarragher, defending, said Sowinska was inexperienced at running the post office's books, had only two days accounting training and could not explain where the money had gone.

Sowinska was also ordered to do 150 hours unpaid work and pay £500 costs.