Nursery nurse in £24,000 fake shifts scam

A NURSERY nurse swindled more than £24,000 from the City of Edinburgh Council by forging headteachers' signatures on time sheets for fake shifts.

Isla Heenan, 31, defrauded the cash over nearly three years.

It was only after two council workers noticed she was making false pay claims in March 2008 that the fraud came to light. Police found Heenan had been copying headteachers' signatures from various schools in the city.

She blamed her state of mental health at the time.

At Edinburgh Sheriff Court yesterday, Heenan, of Lawrie Drive, Penicuik, admitted obtaining 24,494 by fraud between May 2005 and March 2008.

Gerard Drugan, prosecuting, said Heenan told police she intended to give all the money back. He said: "Apparently, the accused's father passed away in 2004 and thereafter she suffered from depression and became dependent on medication.

"She accepted that the forged signatures on the claim forms were all done by her hand and she received the money she was not entitled to."

Heenan will be sentenced next month.