A DAY centre manager has expressed her disgust after a 65-year-old volunteer who stole £6,700 from its bank account served just three months in jail.

Frances Vickers, of Bluebell Way, Carterton, was an unpaid treasurer at Carterton Day Centre for the Elderly when she began paying cheques into her own account.

Her crimes were discovered when one of the centre’s staff took a group of elderly people out for lunch and the charity’s bank card was refused when they tried to pay.

In February, Vickers was jailed for 10 months at Oxford Crown Court after she admitted three counts of fraud and asked for another offence, involving an amount of more than £2,000, to be taken into consideration.

On Thursday, she was back in court, having been released from prison early, for a Proceeds of Crime Act hearing in which she agreed to pay back £6,708.67 to the day centre by November 1 or face an additional four months in jail.

Lyn Stanley, manager of the centre which was forced to close for seven months and is only now getting back on its feet, said: “I can’t believe she’s only served three months. I’m still so angry.

“It’s going to be a drop in the ocean because she caused me so many problems.”

The centre, in Lawton Avenue, is open on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and can host up to 20 elderly people at a time.

Mrs Stanley added: “We’re back up and running and getting things together quite nicely. But we were closed for seven months and a lot of our clients passed away or have gone into homes.

“Now she’s out of prison – I think it’s despicable.

“Some of our clients weren’t sure if they wanted to come back, and you can understand that. It shook everyone’s confidence.”

“I still get some of the ones who used to come before, but we’ve had to build up their confidence because it was all gone.

“But they’re chuffed it’s opened up again, and for some of them coming here is the highlight of their week.”

The centre is still looking for volunteers, especially to drive the shuttle bus that picks up clients.

To offer your services or for more information call 01993 840162.

tairs@oxfordmail.co.uk

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