Sandra Preston, 42, used her position of trust to pocket £62,722.99 in two months from the station's PayPoint system.

She took the cash at 6am when opening up – but her stealing was uncovered when the station's owner came to sell the business and discovered the huge shortfall.

Hull Crown Court heard how previously well-respected Preston had become hooked on gambling after the break-up of her marriage and spent the money on online accounts with Mecca Bingo and Foxy Bingo.

Because of her addiction her life was now "in ruin".

Jailing Preston for six months, Recorder Anton Lodge QC said: "Up until you started this fraud you were a woman of good character and a woman of honour.

"The sad thing is when you got this job, you discovered a way of stealing money from your employer. You were able to misuse the PayPoint system and between August 16 and October 19 last year, you stole and defrauded your employer of over £62,000. That is a lot of money in a short time."

The PayPoint system accepts household bill payments and allows customers to pay for mobile phone top-ups but Preston had been creaming it off without putting anything back in.

Anil Murray, for Preston, who admitted fraud, said: "A few years ago her marriage failed and she moved in with a friend. This friend's mother was a keen bingo player and encouraged her to play.

"She initially paid to play herself, then lost so much she went into debt on credit cards. It became an addiction and last August she began to steal from work.

"She didn't have any idea how much she was taking. Any winnings were put on the next stake. Her life is a complete ruin because of what she has done."

Preston's thefts were uncovered at the garage – which was less than a mile from her home in Highfield Avenue, Driffield, East Yorkshire – after business owner Thomas Megginson decided to sell up in October, and when accounts were drawn up he became aware of a very large shortfall.