A pregnant conwoman has been given the chance to mend her ways.

Anne Emery, 23, used a stolen building society debit card and a stolen National Savings book.

Magistrates heard they had been taken during a burglary last February 3, which Emery had nothing to do with.

But after being given the items, she and an accomplice used them to claim £90 at a sub-post office in Lancing two days later.

They returned the following day but the sub-postmaster became suspicious and called police.

He noticed the date stamps had been tampered with and there were three £100 withdrawals on the same day.

Emery, of Findon Road, Whitehawk, Brighton, pleaded guilty to a charge of handling stolen goods, one of criminal deception and one of attempted criminal deception.

She was ordered to do 60 hours of community service and fined £148 at Worthing Magistrates Court yesterday.

Magistrate Paul Tain said he could have been stricter but recognised she had tried to turn her life around and was due to give birth in May.

He told her: "This may not have been the most appropriate sentence for the crime but I wanted to do the right thing in your circumstances.

"You seem to be sorting out your lifestyle and hopefully you can live an honest life like the rest of us, even if that can be a bit boring at times."