Falkirk Sheriff Court was told that Wendy Shaw, 46, boosted her earnings by falsifying spreadsheets at Total Reinstatement Services.

She was suspended and escorted from the premises when the fraud was discovered in 2014.

The Court heard that Shaw told the firm’s accountants to email all payroll returns directly to her and ordered them to stop sending paper copies to the company’s managing director Brian Gillies.

Mr Gillies only discovered that the Shaw had been getting overpaid when he requested a breakdown from the accountants of staff earnings from the previous 12 months as he was planning on issuing bonuses.

Upon investigation, letters from the accountant addressed to Mr Gillies, but never received by him, were found in Shaw’s desk drawer.

Shaw, of Cowie, Stirlingshire, apologised and discussed the prospect of repayment, but the police were called when no money was forthcoming.

Shaw admitted defrauding the company between March 2008 and October 2014 and will be sentenced on 14 November.

Sheriff John Mundy told first-time offender Shaw that “all options open” to the court, including a custodial sentence, due to the amount of money involved.