An office manager who fleeced her firm out of more than £8,000, after becoming frustrated at the amount of work she was expected to do, has been spared jail.

Linda Albert felt bitter about the hours she was putting in at The Durham Company, a hospital waste disposal firm, in Sunderland.

Newcastle Crown Court heard yesterday how Albert resented the fact the owners had access to company funds and credit cards and she did not.

Over a few months, Albert pocketed £8,372 of the firm's cash.

And when she left to work for Healthcare Hygiene, also in Sunderland, in February last year, she helped herself to a full month's wage, despite only working two weeks at her new job.

Albert, 39, of Brookland Road, Sunderland, admitted stealing from both firms between September 2005 and February last year.

She admitted ten charges of obtaining money transfers by deception in relation to the Durham Company and one of theft in relation to Healthcare Hygiene.

Geoff Mason, prosecuting, told the court at an earlier hearing how Albert used her trusted position at The Durham Company to write cheques to herself, her family and her mortgage company then cover her tracks with false invoices.

She was caught after bosses became suspicious and an investigation was launched. She immediately confessed.

Judge David Hodson sentenced Albert to 12 months imprisonment, suspended for two years, with supervision for two years and 150 hours of unpaid work