A CARER was filmed stealing money from a 91-year-old woman's handbag after family members set up a covert camera to catch her in the act.

Natalie Hodgson, 24, was working for Penarth based company Care in the Vale when she was covertly filmed taking £20 out of her elderly victim's purse by relatives who had become suspicious about missing money.

Concerns about Hodgson had been raised by Sully man Chris Evans, who noticed money going missing from his mother-in-law's house in Sully in May last year.

Mr Evans decided to monitor Hodgson via video and to his shock found that at 7.55am on Friday, May 30 she had taken money from his mother-in-law's purse.

Mr Evans said: "If she had started at 7.55am how many other thefts might she have carried out through the day?"

Natalie admitted to the theft nine hours after being arrested and appeared before Cardiff Magistrates Court in June 2014 but pleaded not guilty.

She went on to appear before both Newport and Cardiff Crown Courts where she again appealed not guilty on several further occasions.

When she was finally sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court, charged with breaching the trust of the client, she took advantage of once last opportunity from the judge and pleaded guilty just as the case was about to go before a jury.

Mr Evans said that the fact Hodgson dragged the case out for so long had taken its toll on the family, who are satisfied now that she has been brought to justice.

He also thanked South Wales Police, in particular PC Russell Barnett, Sergeant Ioan Jones and PCSO Sarah Johnson for their help in the case.

PC Barnett said he was "infuriated" by what the carer had put the family through.

At Cardiff Crown Court Hodgson was given a 12 month community order during which she must undertake 100 hours of unpaid work.

She has also been dismissed by the Care in the Vale, along with two other employees.

She was ordered to repay the £20 that she was caught stealing on film. She denied any other thefts from the victim.

Managing director of Care in the Vale Stephen Gamgee said: "This is a despicable act especially when a client is in your care. This ex-employee has let the family, herself, the company and her colleagues down.

"Fortunately she will never be allowed to work as a carer again.

"The family have been very supportive of us as, I hope, we have of them. We have also collaborated with the authorities throughout the investigation.

"All our staff can be assured that I have full confidence in their quality of work, their personalities and their sense of what is right.

"The fact that we continue to provide care to the family indicates that they share this confidence."