A FORMER worker at a Sevenoaks bank has admitted stealing more than £2million over four-years.

Lee Gardiner, 32, today pleaded guilty to 24 offences of theft when he appeared before a judge at Maidstone Crown Court.

The thefts, between July 1998 and August 2002, took place while Gardiner, formerly of Longmeadow, Riverhead, Sevenoaks, was employed at Lloyds TSB in High Street, Sevenoaks.

In most cases, the dishonesty involved stealing a credit balance from a customer’s account. Many of the bank’s customers had their accounts pillaged and in some cases, large amounts of money stolen, leading to a total loss of £1.2million.

In addition to the 24 counts of theft, Gardiner admitted a deception that took place around the end of May 2000.

He also asked the court to take a further 204 thefts into consideration, bringing the total loss to just over £2million.

Judge Andrew Patience, QC, agreed to adjourn sentencing Gardiner until Monday, September 1, to allow reports from a probation officer and a psychologist.

Gardiner, now living at his parents’ home in Minster Road, Sheerness, has been allowed bail.

But the judge told him: “You will be deceiving yourself if you think you will not get a custodial sentence.”

The court was told that civil proceedings are already underway for the recovery of the money -- including the sale of Gardiner’s home in Sevenoaks.