20 June 2012 Last updated at 10:25 ET

Heysham carer Karen Higgins stole £31,000 from woman

Karen Higgins stole bank cards and forged signatures

A carer from north Lancashire, who stole £31,000 from a pensioner she was looking after, has been jailed for 16 months at Preston Crown Court.

Karen Higgins, 53, stole from her 95-year-old victim after helping at the elderly woman's home in Heysham.

Higgins, of Oxcliffe Road, Heysham, stole the woman's bank cards, issued cheques, and forged signatures on Premium Bonds before cashing them in.

She was jailed after pleading guilty at a previous hearing to theft charges.

Speaking after the sentencing, Det Con Brian Shepherd, from Lancaster CID, said: "Higgins was in a position of trust, not just because of her professional standing but also because she was regularly given access to her victim's home and established a close relationship with her.

"Stealing money from this elderly lady abused that trust and was despicable."