A St Albans shop manager who stole thousands of pounds from the company safe to pay for her sister's wedding has been handed a suspended jail term.

Rahima Begum had been working at The White Company in Christopher Place when she used her knowledge of the combination to the safe to steal more than £7,000.

Begum, 22, of Alder Close, Park Street, pleaded guilty to theft by employee.

She admitted unlocking the safe on ten occasions between October 2009 and February, taking cash out of envelopes and putting the money in her purse.

The deputy manager for five years had been charged with theft of £8,500, but admitted taking a total of £7,441.40 from her employers.

Jan Brooks, prosecuting at St Albans Magistrates Court today, said the prosecution would not take issue with the differences in the sums as it would not make a material difference to the sentence.

Mrs Brooks said, however, there were 'aggravating' features to the offence.

"The defendant was in a senior position and carried out at least eight thefts of the daily banked money from her employer," she told the court.

"She was in a high position of trust with The White Company in St Albans for around five years.

"Part of her role was to deal with the banking of the takings each day.

"She was to take the cash and put it in sealed envelopes with a bank slip, which goes in the safe to be collected by a security firm."

The finance department began investigating the missing cash in March, and Begum who was of previous good character, admitted being the thief.

She told police on arrest she stole the cash to pay for her sister's wedding.

Anne Woodcock, defending, said in mitigation Begum was an 'honest girl' who was full of remorse for the shame brought on her family and on her standing in the 'community'.

Begum wanted to pay the money back but is going through bankruptcy and is in receipt of benefits since being sacked by The White Company.

Pleading with the court not to jail her client, Miss Woodcock said: "This was something completely out of character.

"She shows genuine remorse. The money was not for luxuries for her.

"She got herself in a situation after initially thinking she could borrow the money and pay it back, but then it spiralled out of control."

Passing sentence, chairman of the bench Mrs Cummings said: "There was a large amount of money involved and a high degree of trust in you.

"You were told the combination of the safe and not everyone knows that.

"But we do accept there is a great deal of personal mitigation and the pressure you were under and for that reason we are going to suspend the sentence." Magistrates imposed a 12-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months and ordered Begum to do 150 hours unpaid work.

Begum was also ordered to pay £500 compensation to The White Company.