Care Boss On Theft Charge

The boss of an old people’s home in Longtown has been charged with stealing property and cash worth £3,278. Ann Watt, 45, was relieved of her duties at Cumbria County Council’s Eskdale House in March pending a police probe into “misuse of funds”.

Now she faces 12 charges relating to theft of council property between March 2005 and February 2007. Watt, of Gretna, is due before Carlisle magistrates on Thursday. The charges include theft of cash totalling £1,100, theft of a Sony laptop computer worth £780, electrical items worth £224, and household items and food to the value of £1,174.

The home in Swan Street has 27 residents. Watt had been running it since 2004. Following her suspension Joan Gardiner, county council operations manager for adult social care, was placed in temporary charge.

Ms Gardiner wrote to relatives of residents to confirm that a police investigation was underway. The letter said: “Ann Watt has been suspended from duty as a registered manager at Eskdale House. This is in no way connected with the care that your relative receives.”

A council spokesman declined to comment on the decision to prosecute. But he confirmed that the police had been called in at the request of Cumbria Care, the council offshoot responsible for Eskdale House.

Residents pay between £317 and £422 a week for care, although charges are means-tested. The future of the home, and that of other county council care homes, is currently the subject of a review.