MEMBERS of a homing pigeon club voted to report their treasurer to police after it was discovered she had been stealing the club's cash.

Sandra Bourne took more than £900 from the Meir Homing Society while she was looking after its accounts.

But member John Lawrence became suspicious of her activities, and went on to expose her dodgy dealing.

North Staffordshire magistrates handed Bourne, aged 39, a 12-month community order and instructed her to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work after she admitted theft. She must also pay back the £939, plus £100 costs.

The mother-of-three became secretary and treasurer of the club, of which her father is a member, after offering to help out with computer work.

But Mr Lawrence, of Macdonald Crescent, Meir, suspected there was something wrong with the accounts from 2007/8, so decided to keep an eye on the books.

Last summer he went round to Bourne's house a number of times to check the books with her, but she would not let him see the club's bank statements.

Mr Lawrence, aged 62, said: "I asked for the statements more than once and she said they were at her mother's.

"I kept asking and then later she said her house was being done so they were all boxed up. She kept fobbing me off and I got more suspicious.

"In the end I went to the bank and paid for copies of the statements for six months, and I saw why she didn't want me to see them.

"There was only £73 and we should have had quite a bit. If cheques had been cashed we would have been getting charged by the bank."

In January, Mr Lawrence went to Bourne's home, on Mollison Road, Meir, to confront her.

He said: "She broke down and said she was going to pay it back.

"We had a meeting and I put it to the members what I'd found. They weren't very happy. Every member voted to call the police, so that was what had to be done.

"She was in a position of trust. You don't expect anyone to do that – it was hard-earned money."

Mr Lawrence, who is now the club's treasurer, added: "The members will be glad to get the money back. We wouldn't have liked to see her go to prison."

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