A FORMER social worker who continued to visit an elderly pensioner when he lost his job has admitted to stealing money from her.

Russell Edward Cowell (41) befriended the 76-year-old woman after helping her when she fell in the street, Bolton Crown Court heard on Tuesday.

He was a social worker in Bury at the time, and would often visit her Mile Lane home to talk to the pensioner and help her with chores.

The woman, who suffers from Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's, also received visits from friends and family, Joe Hart, prosecuting, told the court.

On August 3, the pensioner was visited by her sister, who put £50 in her purse in case she needed any money.

Cowell was also in the house at the time, and told her sister that he was a social worker, but gave a different name.

He later stole the money and some credit cards from the pensioner's purse, and left the contents of her handbag strewn across her bedroom, the court heard.

Cowell used the credit cards to buy power tools worth £104.96 from B & Q, and two guitars and amplifiers from a shop in Stockport.

The credit card company became suspicious of the purchases, and contacted the victim and the police, Mr Hart said. Cowell was later arrested by police after being identified on CCTV footage.

David Farley, defending, told the court that Cowell had never received grief counselling following the death of his daughter and the collapse of his relationship.

Reading from a pre-sentence report, Judge Clayson said Cowell's daughter was killed by a hit-and-run driver in Florida, and his partner suffered psychological problems as a result.

Struggling to cope with the situation and finding money for his partner's medical treatment, he turned to heroin and developed an addiction.

Cowell, of Woodhall Crescent, Stockport, was charged with one count of burglary and two counts of deception, and asked for nine similar offences to be taken into consideration. He had pleaded guilty to the offences at an earlier hearing at Bury Magistrates Court, and was sent to Bolton Crown Court for sentencing. He was given a two-year supervisory order and told he must complete 80 hours of unpaid work in the community.

Sentencing, Judge Timothy Clayson said: "You took advantage of an elderly lady's considerable vulnerability to enable yourself to be better off. However, you are someone who is inclined to being responsible and to living your life when you can for the benefit of others. That is something I hope can be restored to you. I am quite certain that if you can be assisted to overcome these circumstances, then you could help the community once again."