A postmistress from the Black Country conned elderly customers out of thousands of pounds by tricking them into punching in debit card pin numbers twice.

Jasvinder Kaur Uppal helped herself to nearly £5,000 after her victims unwittingly made double withdrawals from their accounts.

Walsall Magistrates Court heard yesterday the 37-year-old, who faces jail, was caught out after Royal Mail launched an investigation into banking transactions carried out at the branch, in Lazy Hill Road, Aldridge.

Mr John Dove, prosecuting for the Post Office, told the hearing Uppal had stolen a total of £4,970 over a six-month period by targeting elderly customers with Post Office accounts.

“Money was taken on 29 occasions from vulnerable customers at the post office who did not become aware that their accounts had been debited twice until they were approached by Post Office fraud investigators,” he said.

“She admitted taking the money saying that she had got family problems.”

Uppal, of Wilkes Avenue, Bentley, Walsall, admitted 10 charges of theft totalling £1,840 and asked the court to take a further 19 offences involving sums totalling £3,130 into consideration.

Mr Dove told the court she had been of good character prior to the offences committed between November 2008 and April 2009.

Chairman of the bench Mrs Sheena Parry told Uppal the case would be transferred to Wolverhampton Crown Court for sentencing. She was given unconditional bail until October 27.

After the hearing a defiant Uppal, who still runs the shop adjoining the post office, said she blamed the computer system.