A union official jailed earlier this year for splashing the cash on a honeymoon, car, hotel stays and restaurant bills has been ordered to pay back just £1.

Tanya Tucker defrauded both the union Unison while serving as a branch official, and the North of England Commissioning Support Unit (NECS) of the NHS, for whom she worked in its Durham office, out of a combined estimated total of more than £80,000.

In a trial earlier this year, it was revealed the 57-year-old mother-of-two, of Walker Drive, Bishop Auckland, also defrauded cash to pay for personal shopping and restaurant bills.

The prosecution said it involved deliberate planning and the side-lining of other branch officials to enable her to commit the offences.

The Northern Echo: Jailed union official and NHS worker Tanya Tucker must pay a nominal £1 crime proceeds confiscation Picture: DURHAM COUNTY COUNCIL Jailed union official and NHS worker Tanya Tucker must pay a nominal £1 crime proceeds confiscation Picture: DURHAM COUNTY COUNCIL

In some cases, she forged signatures and falsely entered details on computer software, and much of her offending related to inflated expense claims.

She was suspended from her job in November 2018 and dismissed following disciplinary proceedings in October the following year.

The union described a “sense of betrayal” at her actions, breaking the trust of those she worked with and the workers she was supposed to be supporting.

Tucker, of Walker Drive, Bishop Auckland, claimed she felt her expense claims were justified for the long hours, often in her own time, spent assisting branch members.

The 57-year-old former Durham county and Bishop Auckland town councillor denied eight counts of fraud, said to have been committed between June 2013 and September 2017.

But following a trial at Durham Crown Court in March she was found guilty of seven of the charges by unanimous jury verdicts.

She returned to court for sentence on April 14, when she received a 28-month prison sentence.

Read more: Jailed Tanya Tucker facing disqualification as councillor

Following proceeds of crime inquiries into her means, a confiscation hearing took place at the court today (Wednesday July 20).

Tucker appeared via video link from HMP Low Newton women’s prison, near Durham, where she is serving her sentence.

Ian West, for the Crown, said with inflation taken into account the defendant was considered to have benefited from her crimes by £94,331.95.

But he said the financial investigator concluded she has no available assets to meet the benefit figure.

Mr West, therefore, invited the court to make a nominal £1 confiscation order, to be paid in 28 days at the risk of a notional one day in prison in default.

Judge Ray Singh made the order but warned Tucker that should her financial circumstances change in future the investigator could re-visit the case.

Keep up to date with all the latest news on our website, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

You can also follow our dedicated County Durham Facebook page for all the latest in the area by clicking here.

For all the top news updates from right across the region straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here.

Have you got a story for us? Contact our newsdesk on newsdesk@nne.co.uk or contact 01325 505054