Ann-Marie Tobias leaving Norwich Crown Court. Picture: Denise Bradley.

A disgraced financial administrator of a pre-school group admitted breaching her position of trust and fraudulently stealing thousands of pounds of funds, when she appeared at Norwich Crown Court.

Ann-Marie Tobias, 31, admitted a charge of fraud between May 2010 and November 2011 by overpaying her own wages, failing to bank proceeds of fundraising events and electronically transferring funds from Spixworth Pre-School’s bank account into her own bank account.

Andrew Shaw, prosecuting, said the amount the prosecution say was involved is £23,000 but that this figure was disputed by Tobias, of Grant Road, Spixworth, who has put the figure closer to £11,000.

He said there would have to be a further hearing to decide the amount involved and this will be heard on Tuesday, December 4.

Tobias’ barrister, Katharine Moore, told the court her client did not accept that she had taken more than £11,000.

Judge Stephen Holt ordered that there be a full pre-sentence report and told her: “I am going to adjourn sentence until December 4 for a full pre-sentence report and to establish just how much has been lost.”

The pre-school was based at Spixworth Infant School, in Ivy Road, and was run as a charity.

It closed in July and a new pre-school has been started in the village, which has no connection to the pre-school that Tobias was involved with.

Tobias was given unconditional bail and ordered to return to court on December 4.