Aberdeenshire Council social worker stole £500 for petrol, Chinese takeaway, and hotel

A social worker has been banned from the profession for stealing £500 for petrol, a Chinese takeaway, a night in a hotel, and more.

Claire Murray worked for Aberdeenshire Council in Peterhead when she used her council credit card to make unauthorised personal purchases.

Between May 2020 and August 2021, Murray used her council card to spend approximately £88 on the Apple website, £73 on groceries, £89 on petrol, and £20 from Nintendo.

She also spent nearly £230 for a night in a hotel and a Chinese meal.

The Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) said the purchases were not related to Murray’s employment, and the watchdog said she had been “dishonest in supplying [her] employer with receipts for petrol in respect of hire cars in the knowledge that no hire cars were used on the specific dates”.

The council told Murray: “Your attempts to conceal your behaviour were intentional in nature and increased the risk of repetition.

“We identified substantial public protection and public interest concerns from your conduct and considered your actions amount to an abuse of trust and position, indicating a deep-seated attitudinal issue which is fundamentally incompatible with professional registration.”

The SSSC imposed a removal order against Murray’s care registration and banned her from working in the profession in the future.