A crooked nursery manager who conned parents and teachers out of thousands of pounds at a South Woodford school has been spared jail.

Farah Qureshi, 46, of Mountfield Road, East Ham, lined her pockets with donations while working at Winston House Preparatory School in High Road.

She helped herself to nearly £5,000 of school fees from eight parents over a six month period in 2011 and persuaded colleagues to hand over £850 for “training courses”.

Qureshi was sentenced to 18 months in prison suspended for two years and was ordered to perform

120 hours community service at the Old Bailey on Monday.

Qureshi appeared distressed throughout the hearing but breathed a huge sigh of relief on hearing she was not going to prison.

The judge, Recorder Ali Malek QC, said she only avoided being jailed immediately because she is the sole carer for her 13-year-old daughter.

She had admitted 12 counts of fraud by abuse of position and two of fraud by false representation but was aquitted of a further count of fraud by abuse of position after the prosecution offered no evidence.