A cleaner has been cleared of stealing £32,500 from a wealthy widow.

Elizabeth Barfoot wept as a jury found her not guilty yesterday of taking the money from Marjorie Guy's bank accounts.

Mrs Barfoot was authorised to cash cheques for the frail pensioner who died last year aged 101.

She worked as a cleaner at Mrs Guy's flat and continued to shop and run errands for her after she went into Richmond Methodist residential home, Bexhill, in 2003.

Mrs Guy trusted her enough to authorise her to go to the bank and cash cheques whenever she needed money.

The court heard that she had asked Mrs Barfoot to write out cheques for up to £900 each and Mrs Guy had then signed them.

Nigel Taylor, prosecuting, alleged that Mrs Barfoot had kept the money instead of taking it back to Mrs Guy.

The money has never been recovered and the only things found in her room after she died were her wedding and engagement rings and her purse containing £50.

The fees for her accommodation and care were paid by direct debit from her bank.

Mrs Barfoot, who has no previous convictions, said the pensioner had always checked the amounts using a magnifying glass before signing the cheques.

She said she had always taken the money straight back to Mrs Guy and counted it out on a table in her room so she could see it was all there.

She said she had tried to refuse to collect so much from the bank but Mrs Guy had insisted and paid for a taxi to take her there and back.

Mrs Barfoot, 44, told the jury: "She trusted me and we were very close. I did not give in to temptation or abuse her trust.

"I am sickened that I have been charged with something that I have not done.

"I cannot understand why Mrs Guy turned against me in the way she did.

"I wish she was still alive so that I could ask her why.

"I have no idea what happened to the money. I hoped that it would be found after she died.

"I worked at another home where the residents hid money under the mattress. One old gentleman used to hide his money under the carpet."

The court heard that Mrs Barfoot cashed 55 cheques for Mrs Guy in 2002 and 2003.

They included 12 cheques for £900 each and two for £800 each. The rest varied in amounts between £400 and £700.

Mrs Barfoot told the court: "It started after she was visited by a solicitor when she wanted to change her will.

"She was disgusted that she would have to pay tax in death duties after she died."

The huge sums going out of her account were discovered by Guy Strudwick, her nephew.

He asked her what she had been spending the money on and Mrs Guy replied: "Nothing."

The jury found Mrs Barfoot not guilty by a majority of ten to two of stealing the money.

They were unable to reach a verdict on a second count of attempted theft of £900 after Mrs Barfoot's authorisation to cash cheques was withdrawn in December 2003.

Recorder Markanza Cudby directed a formal not guilty verdict be recorded.

Mrs Barfoot, of Windmill Drive, Bexhill, left court in tears and was comforted by her son at the end of the three-day trial.

She said: "I am very pleased with the outcome and that it is all over."

Mr Strudwick did not want to comment as he left court with his wife.