A callous thief who befriended a 90-year-old woman before stealing from her has been jailed for her "sickening" crime.

And police today revealed that her victim died two weeks after the incident - although her death was not linked to the theft.

Leanne Clayton, 40, approached her 90-year-old victim on March 31 last year as she was on her way to her local shop in Selby, and offered to go to the shops for her.

The victim handed her £20, telling her where she lived so she could bring the shopping back to her.

Clayton did the shopping and brought it back to the victim's flat.

But Clayton returned to the flat on April 2, and chatted to the victim. North Yorkshire Police said that while there, she stole the victim's bank card and PIN.

Immediately after leaving the flat, she used the card to withdraw £150 from a cash machine in Selby town centre.

She made five more attempts to withdraw cash, to the value of £420. However, the card was blocked by the bank immediately after the first withdrawal, as until then it had never been used in all the time the victim had it.

Clayton visited the victim several times throughout the late evening and early morning of the following day, waking her up every few hours, said police.

She was arrested shortly afterwards.

Clayton, from Doncaster, was charged with theft of £150 from a cash machine, and attempted theft of hundreds of pounds more. The case was heard at York Magistrates Court on January 31 this year, but Clayton failed to attend and was found guilty in her absence.

North Yorkshire Police officers continued the investigation to find her, with numerous visits to the South Yorkshire area.

Finally, on Sunday, May 10, she was caught and arrested by officers from South Yorkshire Police, and put before Doncaster Magistrates Court the following day. She was sentenced to 24 weeks in prison.

The victim's family were kept updated throughout the investigation, and welcomed the sentence - while also thanking the officers who brought Clayton to justice.

PC Heidi McLoughlin, from North Yorkshire Police, said: "This sickening crime involved the targeting of a vulnerable elderly lady, befriending her and gaining her trust with the sole intention of stealing from her.

"I am pleased to see that the judge recognised this by imposing a custodial sentence."