A former receptionist who stole nearly £25,000 from a leisure centre in Bicester wept at Oxford Crown Court today as a judge sentenced her to nine months behind bars.

Diane Taylor, 49, of Kiln Lane, Oxford, pleaded guilty to 18 counts of theft by fiddling till transactions while working as a receptionist at Bicester and Ploughley Sports Centre over two-and-a-half years.

By August 2006, when her actions were uncovered, she had stolen £24,180 from her employers Cherwell District Council. A further 224 offences were taken into consideration.

Judge David Morton Jack was told Taylor had twice attempted suicide since her arrest and admitted there was no doubt she was in a poor psychological state.

But he told her: "You never sought help for any medical condition until you were taken in for questioning by police and you have held down a job for 15 years."

He described her crimes as "cunning" and said she knew exactly what she was doing when she took the money.

Defence barrister James McCrindell said she had lost her job, was mentally fragile and had repaid the money to the council. She was ordered to pay court costs of £475.