A Fife Council carer helped herself to two Christmas gift cards which had been bought for her colleagues.

The thief was identified as 43-year-old Diane Rodger, of Main Street, Lumphinnans, after the cards went missing.

At Dunfermline Sheriff Court, she admitted that between December 8 and 20 at an address in Crossgates, she stole gift cards whilst employed there as a carer.

Depute fiscal Amy Robertson said Rodger was employed by Fife Council as a carer which took her into the home of the victim, a 63-year-old man with various health problems.

Central Fife Times: She's now lost her job at Fife Council.She's now lost her job at Fife Council. (Image: Newsquest)

Rodger was not one of his normal carers but was covering there at the time.

The man had bought gift cards for his four regular carers from a local supermarket in the run-up to Christmas.

He handed over two of them and had left the other two waiting for the workers when they came to his home with their names on them.

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These two £25 gift cards disappeared and inquiries were carried out. CCTV was checked at the supermarket and showed a woman, identified as Rodger, using the two gift cards to make purchases.

Defence solicitor Chris Sneddon said: “She has no explanation for doing what she’s done. She accepts there is no excuse for it.”

He added that she had lost her job and will be prevented from working in that sector again.

Sheriff Charles Lugton ordered Rodger to pay £50 compensation and fined her £640.