An office worker who stole nearly £150,000 from her employers at the All England Club to pay off credit card debts has been jailed for two years.

Linda Powell of Framfield Road, Mitcham, took the money over a decade while working in the offices of Wimbledon’s famous tennis club.

Earlier this month she was sentenced to two years' imprisonment at Kingston Crown Court, after being found guilty of theft.

The 57-year-old sales ledger assistant took £143,959 in small amounts over the 10-year period.

A police spokesman said the money was spent on day-to-day living and to pay off credit card bills.

A spokesman for the All England Club said: “We were conducting a review of our accountancy processes and found one or two anomalies, so we investigated them.

"Obviously we are pleased to have uncovered this.”

Powell was suspended from work on July 7 last year, and the police were informed on July 10.

She was charged with the crime on November 19.

The spokesman added security checks would be tightened up in future to prevent a repeat of the crime.