A WOMAN who admitted last month to stealing nearly £1,500 from a vulnerable man in her care has been allowed to withdraw her guilty plea.

Alison McIver wrote a letter stating that she had fleeced the man — who is now deceased — and she represented herself in court to admit the now alleged theft.

McIver, 53, was due to be sentenced in court but a sheriff granted her request to change her position to one of not guilty.

The former care worker had taken legal advice since her last appearance in the dock and has now enlisted the services of solicitor David Tod.

Mr Tod said: "My motion is to withdraw her pleas of guilty, which she tendered without legal advice, and tender pleas of not guilty."

McIver is charged with helping herself to £1,250 from her then client's Bank of Scotland accounts at the bank's West Blackhall Street branch.

She is also accused of using his debit card to buy £216 worth of clothes online from the Newlook.com website.

Prosecutors say she also attempted to buy items from the Next website.

The alleged offences are said to have been committed in September 2018.

A full narration of the circumstances of the case was read out in court last month and sentence had been deferred on McIver for a social background report and electronic tagging assessment.

That process has now been stopped in its tracks by her change of position over the allegations.

She is due back in court on May 5, ahead of a trial scheduled for June 1.