HAMPSHIRE County Council has yet to decide whether or not to pursue the friend of school bursar Linda Whittaker for £18,000 in overtime payments falsely claimed on her behalf.

Whittaker, from Kings Worthy, was found guilty in February of faking claims for Pat Hickman, who worked part-time at Winchester’s Osborne School for children with special needs.

Sentencing the 66-year-old to an 18-month suspended jail sentence in April, Judge Jane Miller QC told Winchester Crown Court how the county council would not be pursuing Ms Hickman to return the money.

But, three months later, the local authority said they had in fact yet to make a formal decision on whether or not to request that the money is paid back: “Hampshire County Council is still considering this matter, and it would not wish to prejudice any position it may choose to take by commenting further at this time,” a spokeswoman said.