A former school finance officer who stole hundreds of pounds in children's dinner money and charity donations has avoided jail.

Dione Campbell admitted three counts of theft and one count of false accounting while employed at Balgowan Primary School, Balgowan Road, Beckenham.

The 25-year-old was given a seven-month prison sentence for each of the theft offences, suspended for two years at Croydon Crown Court, yesterday.

She was also ordered to carry out 100 hours community service and to pay £881.43 compensation to Balgowan Primary School in addition to £383 costs.

No separate penalty was imposed for false accounting.

Campell, of Cypress Gardens, Brockley, appeared for sentencing, after admitting stealing £335 of the children's dinner money and an unknown amount of cash collected for charity by the school.

The theft took place between January 10 and January 11, 2006 while Campbell was employed at the school as a finance officer.

The matter was reported to police on January 11, 2006 and Campbell was arrested on suspicion of theft on June 23, 2006.

She was charged with three counts of theft and one count of false accounting on October 24, 2006.

Campbell initially denied the offences but changed her plea as the case was set to go to trial.

Det Con Terry Limby from Bromley Police CID said: "Working in conjunction with the school, Bromley police found overwhelming evidence of theft against Campbell.

"This shameful act was an abuse of the position of trust that she had been placed in at the school and a betrayal of the whole school community."