A trusted sales assistant at Penrith's WHSmith repeatedly pilfered from the till after stealing for the first time and thinking: "Nobody will miss £10."

Magistrates heard how Shona Fairhurst, 38, was caught after rapidly escalating losses at the Angel Lane store prompted bosses to install a covert camera, which showed the defendant pocketing cash.

At Carlisle's Rickergate court, Fairhurst, of Friars Terrace, Penrith, admitted a single count of employee theft. The charge covered her stealing between October 7, 2017 and March 23 this year.

Glenn Anderton, prosecuting, said managers became suspicious after noticing a huge increase in cash losses at the store. A loss prevention officer installed a covert camera for the store on March 6.

It showed a female sales assistant using a pin number to access the till and pocket bank notes, said Mr Anderton.

"On March 28," said the prosecutor, "extracts of the footage were shown to the Penrith store manager... and she confirmed it was Shona Fairfurst.

"Over an extensive period of time she had been using a void, no sales transaction to gain access to the till and remove cash without any authority."

Over the six months of the thefts, Fairhurst stole £1,638.

Since her crime was exposed, the losses had stopped completely.

During her interview about the thefts, Fairhurst made admissions, saying she did not believe she had stolen so much.

"She said she did not need [the money] and that at the time of the offence, she was unwell with stress and anxiety... at the time the store had a temporary manager."

Fairhurst said she was an emotional state and recalled the first occasion when she stole and thinking nobody would miss the £10 she took.

Mr Anderton added: "She was extremely sorry and apologetic and she felt sick and ashamed of her behaviour."

As a result, she had needed psychiatric help and had thoughts about self-harming.

Sean Harkin, for Fairhurst, who was sacked by WHSmith, said she had suffered anxiety and depression.

"There is no pattern of offending," he said. "There was a previous offence but it was some time ago."

That was a reference to a caution Fairhurst received for a similar offence in 2003 for an employee theft.

Presiding magistrate Marcia Fotheringham said the details of the case had disturbed her and her colleagues, particularly the detail that there was no reason for her to steal.

"There was some degree of trust which got broken," said Mrs Fotheringham.

She noted also that the defendant had rejected the idea of being helped by the Probation Service.

Magistrates imposed a six month 7pm to 7am curfew and told Fairhurst that she must repay the £1,638 she stole, along with £85 costs and a victim surcharge for the same amount.