A TRAINEE bank cashier who stole more than £6600 from the NatWest bank was given a final chance by a judge.Chelsea Barnes, 20, who worked at the branches on Boundary Road and London Street in Norwich began pocketing various amounts of cash which Norwich Crown Court heard she used for household expenses rather than any high living.

A TRAINEE bank cashier who stole more than £6600 from the NatWest bank was given a final chance by a judge.

Chelsea Barnes, 20, who worked at the branches on Boundary Road and London Street in Norwich began pocketing various amounts of cash which Norwich Crown Court heard she used for household expenses rather than any high living.

However suspicions were aroused at the bank as she kept being short of cash on her final till balance and in March she was suspended from her job and was later arrested for theft of the cash.

Barnes of High Road, Gorleston admitted 13 counts of theft from the NatWest totalling £6636.

Judge Simon Barham told her: “You are on the edge of going to custody. This is a serious offence. It represents a breach of trust.”

However he said he would spare her immediate custody and instead imposed a 20 week custodial sentence suspended for 12 months. He also ordered her to do 200 hours unpaid work and imposed a three month curfew.

He added that she should not re-offend and warned: “You won't get another chance again.”

Michael Clare, mitigating “The defendant was a trainee and what she has done is extremely unsophisticated. The finger always pointed at her.”

He added: “The money was not spent on lavish living it went on household expenses.”

He said she was full of remorse for what she had done and the effect on her had been devastating.