A POST Office manager masterminded a fake robbery to cover her tracks after stealing thousands of pounds from her own branch.

But one of her members of staff suspected something was wrong with the raid and called in the police.

Now Tara Holland is behind bars after conjuring up the robbery at Martin’s newsagent in Sheep Street, office in Bicester in January.

A judge at Oxford Crown Court said yesterday that Holland was guilty of a “serious breach of trust”.

The court was told the 21-year-old postmistress came up with the scam after stealing from the post office and then realising she would be exposed by a head office audit.

She dressed her lover’s friend Travis Stone in a postman’s uniform and made him push her to the ground to try to make the robbery look authentic.

Stone, 24, of Nuthatch Way, Bicester, managed to get away with £67,990.

But within 36 hours of the alarm being raised, police later found the cash along with cocaine and horse tranquilliser ketamine in a safe belonging to Andrew McCarthy, 22, of The Glebe, Cumnor.

Holland, of Spindleside, Bicester, was jailed at Oxford Crown Court yesterday for two years and nine months after admitting conspiracy to steal.

Judge Peter Fingret said: “You played the leading role in this offence. You were the manager of the Post Office where there was a serious deficit in accounting.

“Whatever was the cause of this, you chose to set up this conspiracy and, in so doing, committed a very serious breach of trust.

“You made all the arrangements, even to the extent of getting Stone to push you to the ground.”

Stone was invited into the conspiracy by Holland’s partner, Lee Graham, and was given a share of the cash to pay off drug debts.

Police recovered all the stolen cash except for £455 which Stone had used to pay off council tax and other bills, the court heard.

All four admitted faking the raid but disputed their roles.

Nadeem Holland, in Holland’s defence, said she was promoted to manager too quickly to cope with the responsibility.

And David Bright, defending Stone, said he admitted all the facts to police at the earliest opportunity.

James Reilly, defending McCarthy, said the warehouseman just looked after the money, while Michael Amer, defending Graham, said he was a go-between for Holland and Stone.

Stone was sentenced to two years and three months for admitting conspiracy to steal, and McCarthy was given two years and six months after pleading guilty to possession of criminal property and two counts of possession of class A drugs with intent to supply.

Graham, 23, of Spindleside, was handed a 150-hour community order for aiding and abetting theft.

Supt Howard Stone said: “I would like to commend a member of staff at the Post Office for their quick thinking which enabled my officers to carry out a fast-moving and complex investigation, leading to the arrest and charge of four offenders.

“Within 36 hours of the initial report, we recovered £68,000 of cash and £10,000 worth of drugs”.

A spokesman for the Post Office said it takes a zero tolerance approach to dishonesty among staff.