A 41-year-old Grantham woman has been jailed for 18 months after stealing £77,000 from an elderly and vulnerable relative.

Francie Williams, of Dysart Road, was charged with fraud by abuse of position and sentenced to18 months in jail at Lincoln Crown Court yesterday (12 Nov).

Williams was responsible for an elderly and vulnerable family member's finances under a Power of Attorney agreement which allowed her to only withdraw monies from his account for his benefit.

But, instead, she used his money to buy a vehicle costing around £23,000 for her own personal use.

Williams was sent to crown court, where she pleaded guilty to the offence in October, before being sentenced yesterday when she accepted taking a total £77,000 from the complainant over a period of two years between, 2014 to 2016.

The majority of the money was taken via debit card and estimated to be in the region of 200 transactions.

Detective Constable Kerry McNeill, leading the investigation, said: "As attorney for her relative's financial affairs, Williams stole thousands to fund her own lifestyle.

"The sentence reflects how serious this crime is and serves as a reminder to those entrusted with such responsibility.

"If anyone suspects this type of fraud or any other fraud is happening to them or someone they know they should report it to us."