A woman who grew up wanting to care for pensioners ended up stealing from them instead.

Karen Schmidt, 41, qualified and became manager at a privately-run care home in Harbledown, Canterbury Crown Court was told.

But during a two-and-a-half year period she stole £2,700 from the bank accounts of 11 residents, said prosecutor Lucy Luttman.

Schmidt, of Craddock Road, Canterbury, admitted 11 theft charges between November, 2004, and May, 2007, and was ordered to do 140 hours of unpaid work when she appeared for sentencing.

Ms Luttman told how Schmidt had stolen the cash and then forged the accounts to show the pensioners had paid for hair cuts, chiropody, toiletries and clothes.

She was suspended after a colleague became suspicious when lawyers for one of the residents received a demand for more money.

The court heard the owner of the Old Rectory Home in Lanfranc Gardens repaid the residents.

Deborah Charles, for Schmidt, said: “She is very ashamed of her actions because she realises that it was a grave breach of trust.”

She said Schmidt began taking the money not to have an extravagant life but to buy clothes for her children.

Since being sacked she had done two jobs, working at a warehouse and as a cleaner, to help reduce the debt.

Judge Anthony Webb ordered her to repay the £2,700 and said: “You deprived elderly people of money they needed for small comforts in their declining years.”