A building society customer service manager has been jailed for two years for defrauding elderly victims of more than £27,000.

Sandra Stewart, 51, of Fairgreen Road in Croydon, had admitted to stealing the funds from Nationwide customer accounts in the 1990s when she was experiencing financial difficulties.

Having targeted elderly victims with savings accounts, she transferred money between accounts in order to 'repay' the missing sums, moving the debits to a new account until that customer complained.

When customers rang in to speak to customer services about the discrepancies, Stewart, in her role as customer services manager, admitted a bank error and 'repaid' the missing sum witha  further unauthorised transfer.

A police investigation was launched in October 2015 after three Nationwide customers complained to the bank.

Stewart, who had worked at other branches in Walworth, Clapham and Brixton, was jailed for two years at the Inner London Crown Court on Friday, November 25.

She was sentenced to two year's imprisonment for three counts of fraud by abuse of position.