A LIVE-IN carer accused of stealing hundreds of pounds from a pensioner she was caring for has been cleared.

Tracey Hughes, of Throwley Forstal, Faversham, Kent, broke down in tears after a jury at Oxford Crown Court unanimously found her not guilty of one count of theft yesterday.

Prosecutors during the trial had alleged that the 56-year old had taken money totalling about £230 while working at her employer's Kidlington home between November 7 and December 29 2016.

Miss Hughes had been hired by carers firm Enable Health to look after Linda New, a woman aged in her 60s.

While there, jurors were told, she was trusted with Mrs New's debit and credit cards.

Taking to the witness box to profess her innocence yesterday Miss Hughes told the court that she had not been trained in finance management and admitted to being a poor record keeper.

Speaking of her relationship with the family during her employment she said: "I got on really well with them.

"We used to have chats and cups of tea together and used to get on really well."

Asked about one incident in which prosecutors claimed Miss Hughes had refused to let Mrs New's daughter see her mother's bank statements she said her reasons were entirely innocent.

She said: "Her mother had bought her a gift for Christmas and she had asked me not to let them at the bank statements, just for the Christmas period."

She said that she never dishonestly took any money and jurors took just one hour and 20 minutes to roundly clear her of any wrong-doing as the trial ended yesterday.