NHS cleaners’ ‘faith in humanity’ restored after hamper con

Fraud: Cleaning staff were cheated by their supervisor

NHS staff in Kirkcaldy who were conned out of thousands of pounds by their own supervisor were reduced to tears when their colleagues secretly raised money to pay them back.

Sharon Bow told nine cleaning staff in last January she would take payments for a Christmas savings scheme with a well-known hamper company.

But despite making around £4,000 in payments to her throughout the year, the staff grew suspicious of Bow in late November.

After calling the company they were shocked to find that no payments had been made in their names.

Victim Louise Ross, 47, said Bow, her supervisor, first recommended entering the saving scheme last year.

She said: “Nine of us agreed, so we all started paying in January.

“We made all our payments, and then by December 1 a couple of staff had called the company to find that she’d registered all nine names but never paid a penny, not even in her own name.

“We were so humbled, because at Christmas time everyone struggles. For that hospital to come together for us, it was just amazing. LOUISE ROSS

“We tried to contact her and got no answer so the company told us to go to the police.

“I’d paid £440, expecting to get that back in December, and got nothing. Others paid up to £500.

“She was chasing us up for payments. We got paid on Thursday, and if she didn’t have it by Friday she’d be quick in texting us to ask about it.

“She sent someone to my dad’s door for money when I was looking after him when he was dying of cancer.

“It would have hit others worse who had younger children at Christmas.”

Bow appeared at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court and pled guilty to a fraudulent scheme.

She was sentenced to a community payback order of 200 hours unpaid work within 12 months, with the supervision order running for 18 months.

Unknown to the group, NHS staff started a campaign to raise funds, and in just 10 days they were repaid in full.

Louise said: “We were so humbled, because at Christmas time everyone struggles. For that hospital to come together for us, it was just amazing.

“I’ve never cried so much in my life, and it’s happy tears. It was really overwhelming.

“We all got a brilliant Christmas thanks to the NHS. It restored our faith in people.”