A trusted dental receptionist who stole nearly £24,000 from her employer has been given a suspended jail term.

Josephine De Bruijn, 54, worked as a receptionist at the Clarence House dental surgery, at Watton, and had been there for more than nine years, Norwich Crown Court heard.

Martin Ivory, prosecuting, said that she had been promoted to head receptionist and part of her job was to take the payments when some patients paid for their treatment in cash.

However Mr Ivory said that instead of paying the money into the business account, De Bruijn had kept some of the cash for herself and stole £23,853 from October 2009 until July last year.

He said that De Bruijn tried to cover her tracks by filling in paperwork but said the thefts were discovered following a check of the accounts in June last year, and it was found she had taken the money in 123 different transactions.

Mr Ivory said that De Bruijn admitted straight away what she had done and no blame ever was cast on any other member of staff.

De Bruijn, of Spencer Court, Watton, admitted the theft of the cash and was given an eight-month jail sentence, suspended for 18 months and ordered to do 220 hours unpaid work.

Sentencing her, Recorder Guy Ayers told De Bruijn: 'Over a significant period of time you stole from your employer and the total is just short of £24,000.'

He said that she had gone on stealing until she was caught and said: 'It is a significant breach of trust by you.' He added that she had been motivated by greed, but said that she was now full of remorse for what she had done.

Michael Clare, for De Bruijn, said her thefts lacked any criminal sophistication.

He added: 'The money was spent on day-to-day living and she knew in the end she would be apprehended.'