Caroline McLellan fleeced 12 individuals — seven men and five women — whilst employed as a local authority support worker.

The brass-necked thief helped herself to a total of £19,653 on various occasions between 7 February 2012 and 20 March last year.

She abused her position as a trusted custodian of her unwitting clients’ money to embezzle from them.

McLellan, 43 — who was sacked for gross misconduct by Inverclyde Council last year — pocketed her haul at a host of outlets by using her victims’ cash cards.

She used the Bank of Scotland and Nationwide in Greenock’s West Blackhall Street as well as the Costcutter store in Roxburgh Street.

McLellan also lifted money at the town’s RBS branch, Lloyds TSB, the Oak Mall, the Bank of Scotland in John Wood Street, Port Glasgow, and elsewhere.

She pled guilty at Greenock Sheriff Court to the cruel embezzlement through her defence lawyer Bob Mitchell.

The charge against her stated that while she was employed as a support worker with Inverclyde Council, and being a person responsible for and trusted to assist with the banking and accounting of monies, she withdrew sums of money being the property of others.

It added that she thereafter made ‘partial accounting’ of the cash withdrawn and ‘retained the balance of monies due to the said persons’ in order to embezzle ‘in cumulo’ £19,653.

Prosecutor Pamela Brady told the court that the thief’s only previous conviction was for a minor road traffic offence.

Sheriff Ian Anderson decided to defer sentence for background reports to be prepared.

He allowed McLellan’s bail to be continued.

McLellan, of Greenock’s Fancy Farm Place, is due to learn her fate next month.