A SOLICITORS' clerk paid off £4,000 of customers' debt with money taken from other clients, a misconduct hearing was told.

Elizabeth Gough pretended she had recovered money owed to the clients in court judgements, when, in fact, she had simply taken it from another account.

In one case Gough paid out £1,886 and in another £2,000 was sent to clients using others customers' money, the Solicitors' Disciplinary Tribunal heard this week.

Blake Lapthorn Linnell, in Botley, put her on extended leave in January 2004. Within days Gough sent a letter of resignation.

Stephen Battersby, for the Law Society, said: "It is not suggested that she has lined her own pockets by stealing clients' money.

"What is suggested against her is that having been employed as a clerk she had misused one client's monies to deal with the affairs of other clients.

"It was done by her in an attempt to cover up the fact she had not done what she ought to have done in order to make recoveries of debts for clients."

Gough, of The Camelias, Banbury, did not attend the hearing in central London.

The tribunal decided to impose a section 43 order which means that no law firm can employ Gough without permission from the Law Society. She was also ordered to pay £1,221 costs.