AN ex-librarian tagged for stealing books and selling them was “obsessed with eBay”, a court heard.

Gillian Polding, 56, the former chief librarian at Harrow Council, was today sentenced to a community order that will see her electronically tagged for the duration of a three-month curfew.

The mother-of-three, of Ridgewood Drive, Harpenden, started selling books that were no longer needed, but by the time she was caught she was taking stock that had not yet been discarded.

The goods were valued at a total of £573 but the court heard how the abuse of her position was the most serious aspect of the crime.

Sentencing Polding at Harrow Crown Court, Judge David Mole QC said: “This is a sad case. You are a mature lady, still someway short of retirement age, of positive good character, not simply no convictions, people said nice things about you in the trial.

“You are clearly somebody who was capable of holding down a good job, which you appeared to like and to which you could bring enthusiasm and imagination and energy.

“Then - how sad - something went wrong. I don't quite know why, perhaps you felt a resentment rising in the job. Perhaps you thought it went sour.

“But for whatever reason you appear to have become obsessed with eBay.”

She was sacked in spring last year after being arrested and was convicted of one count of fraud and two of theft in December.

The court heard how her husband, a school teacher on around £30,000 a year, is now supporting the family alone and is helping one of their three sons financially while he is at university.

Since she was dismissed Polding has been told by a charity that she was not trustworthy enough to work in its shop, the court heard.

Mrs Polding's curfew bans her from leaving the house between 9pm and 7am and she was also ordered to pay £7,000 costs.