The move comes after thieving former community support worker Caroline McLellan had claimed through her lawyer to have repaid all of her victims ‘in full’.

Prosecutors have now lodged a statement of information at Greenock Sheriff Court which has been compiled by the Crown Office’s serious and organised crime division.

Defence solicitor Edward Sweeney — standing in for the embezzler’s usual lawyer Rhona Lynch — suggested that only ‘some’ of the stolen cash had been returned.

His comment came in the wake of relatives of McLellan’s unwitting victims insisting that their vulnerable loved ones — some of whom have cerebral palsy — had received partial repayments.

McLellan informed the court last month that she had paid the full amount back following a property transaction.

But lawyer Mr Sweeney told Sheriff Derek Hamilton: “I think that some restitution has been made already.” Disgraced McLellan, 43, stole £19,653 from 12 adults who have significant learning difficulties in a systematic mass embezzlement which lasted more than two years.

Stunned parents and siblings of her defenceless targets wept after the thief was spared a prison sentence over her cruel crimes last month.

McLellan had responsibility for withdrawing cash on behalf of clients and helping them with shopping and paying bills as part of efforts to allow them to live as independently as possible within the community.

The court heard previously how she would go to the bank with her clients and lift certain amounts of money for them but accounted for lesser sums.

McLellan, pictured, has been sentenced to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work in a year instead of being imprisoned after a sheriff was told of her ‘deep remorse’ and ‘acute sense of guilt, shame and embarassment’.

She committed the offences between February 2012 and March last year.

Prosecutor Pamela Brady told how the families of her victims feel ‘betrayed’ and are ‘clearly very deeply upset’ at her actions.

Inverclyde Council sacked McLellan for gross misconduct last year and described her crimes as ‘despicable’.

Victims’ relatives Lynn Gault and Patricia Law told the Telegraph last month that the thief had repaid 75 per cent of what was stolen.

A procedural hearing into the proceeds of crime matter is due to take place on 15 July, with answers from the defence to the Crown’s statement of information to be lodged by 1 July.