Marilyn Taylor, 65, was a service manager at the home, responsible for the care and financial affairs of 34 people with disabilities but she emptied the bank account of one young woman whose condition was such that she was not aware of day to day matters, the court was told.

Taylor of Beresford Gardens, Upper Brook Street in Oswestry, admitted five charges of theft and false accounting between April and June 2005 amounting to £6,000 and was given an eight month prison sentence suspended for 15 months and was ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work.

The judge also set down a timetable under the Proceeds of Crime Act and a financial hearing will be held to determine how much can be confiscated.

Prosecutor John Philpotts said that Taylor who had worked at the home since 2001, was authorised to withdraw cash on behalf of residents and it was alleged that she told another member of staff that some residents had too much money in their accounts.

The defendant decided to refurbish the room of the victim, although she was not authorised to make such a decision, the court heard.

Taylor was suspended when concerns were expressed to the area manager and it was discovered that the resident's account had been emptied, and there were no invoices to cover it.

Mr Philpotts said that the prosecution did not accept that the money she had taken had been spent in the home for the benefit of residents.

Dafydd Roberts, defending, said that it was a tragedy for Taylor to be in court on such serious offences, and said she was now retired and was unlikely ever to be in court again.

He said his client was a woman of positive good character throughout her life, who had done much good.

She was normally a "loving and caring woman," he said.

The offences amounted to discreet withdrawals of a total of £6,000 over an eight week period in 2005 and it was clear that the thefts had stopped before they were discovered.

The judge, Mr Justice Davis, said it was a matter which involved serious criminality.

"You were sufficiently trusted to be promoted at the Leonard Cheshire Home - people relied upon you and you abused that trust in a significant way."

But he said that he took the view that in view of her guilty plea and her good character, she had done enough good in her life that the inevitable prison sentence could be suspended.