A CHARITY worker stole more than £24,000 from vulnerable adults she was supposed to be helping.

Now Julie Robb, 53, is facing jail after pleading guilty to theft while working as a finance officer for the National Autistic Society.

After the case, police said Robb, of Cliff Street, Rishton, had abused the trust of the most vulner-able people in her care.

She worked for the charity’s Great Harwood branch, based in Queen Street, which houses and cares for adults suffering from autism in the borough.

As finance officer, Robb was responsible for managing the branch’s budget and setting up bank accounts of the service users, police said.

But as sole signatory on accounts, Robb was able to make regular withdraw-als from their accounts.

The court was told Robb stole £12,300 from one victim alone. She had denied the charges.

But yesterday, as her trial was due to start at Burnley Crown Court, she admitted five counts of theft, relating to the theft of £24,300 from five autistic adults over two-and-a-half years.

Robb had worked for the charity since 1999 until the thefts came to light in 2007.

Police said she had purposefully targeted the most vulnerable, choosing victims whose autism was more pronounced than others.

After the case, DC Tracey McMurdo said: “She has abused the trust of those who depended on her in committing this crime.

"During the course of the investigation it has become clear that she had debt problems and, rather than dealing with that herself, she has chosen to steal from those she was supposed to be protecting.

“Robb was dismissed from the National Autistic Society for gross misconduct and it is only for this reason that she has been stopped.”

A spokeswoman for the Society said: “As the UK’s leading charity for people with autism, the NAS places absolute importance on the security and well-being of all people in our care, including their financial affairs.”

Robb’s crimes came to light through standard internal checking procedures.

She will be sentenced at the end of May and also faces steps through the courts to seize any money stolen.