A thieving police worker was caught in an undercover sting stealing cash from a “lost” purse.
Agnes Alexander, 60, had been employed by the Met for three decades when she stole the pink purse containing £70. It had been planted in a secret “integrity test”.
The purse, also containing a baby scan and photographs but no other ID, had been handed in by an officer pretending to be a member of the public.
Alexander was followed into an Iceland supermarket where she spent some of the cash before being arrested. The serial numbers on banknotes she used to go shopping matched those in the purse.
A judge said the incident would cost the widow her “good character... and undoubtedly her job.”
The Met civilian worker admitted stealing from Walworth police station, where she worked at the front desk for half of her 30-year career. She was given a 20-week suspended jail sentence at Camberwell Green magistrates’ court yesterday after pleading guilty to theft.
District Judge Susan Green said people who hand in lost property “expect a high sense of integrity from those who they trust as public servants”.
Robin Shaw, defending, described Alexander’s actions as “incredibly stupid” and said she was still recovering from the loss of her partner four years ago. She was also ordered to do 120 hours of unpaid work and pay £207 costs.
