A thief must forfeit two personal pensions to pay back a slice of the huge sum she stole from Maryport's Lake District Coast Aquarium.

Pamela Gradon, 57, took at least £117,500 while employed as a manager at the town attraction between 2007 and 2013.

Gradon admitted the theft, which came to light after other staff reported suspicions.

At Carlisle Crown Court last April, Gradon was given a 32-month prison sentence having stolen on as many as 2,500 separate occasions.

As general manager she was trusted to handle all the aquarium's cash takings.

But she instead pocketed so much cash that her colleagues were denied pay rises for three years.

She recorded bogus cash refunds so she could take the money for herself, and regularly reset the till to wipe out any record of money she had taken.

It was concluded that the defendant stole "at least" £117,541. However, the till rolls for lengthy periods were never found.

During part of the period in which Gradon was stripping away money, another employee was independently stealing from the business, which is owned by Mark Vollers.

That staff member, Scott Lister, was given an eight-month suspended prison sentence earlier this year having taken more than £11,000 between 2008 and 2011.

In the wake of Gradon's criminal conduct, police set about targeting her assets to recoup some of her ill gotten gains.

And at the crown court yesterday, Judge Peter Hughes QC ordered her to repay a sizeable chunk of the money she took.

It was said in court that Gradon's total benefit figure from her illegal activities was £129,847.70.

Her available repayment amount was agreed to be £72,244.84, which will be used to compensate Mr Vollers.

That sum is said to consist of money in Gradon's bank accounts, cash seized at the time of her arrest and equity in her home address.

It also includes the contents of two personal pension funds. Judge Hughes ordered the respective pension companies to pay the net values of these policies.

This money will be added to the compensation order.

Judge Hughes heard the financial complexities of such payments could make Gradon, of School Drive, Flimby, liable for a tax rebate.

But in response, he ordered that any such rebate is immediately surrendered added to the compensation pot.

Speaking after last year's sentencing hearing, Mr Vollers had said: "I am very grateful to my staff for their part in uncovering the fraud and then pulling together to run the business."