FOUR animal lovers were conned out of cash by a woman who had advertised that she had kittens for sale.

Jennifer Watt took deposits from four local women after pretending she was selling the young cats from her home at Lindores Drive, Tranent.

But after taking in £245, Watt left her customers disappointed after she failed to hand over the kittens to their new owners.

Following the scam, one angry woman contacted staff at the Clydesdale Bank to report the potential fraud.

Police were alerted to the incident and, after offering to hand the money back, Watt was arrested and charged with forming a fraudulent scheme in an attempt to obtain the cash.

The 22-year-old was in the dock at Edinburgh Sheriff Court last Thursday where she pleaded guilty to the offence, which took place in 2020.

Sheriff Peter McCormack said that he was ordering Watt to pay a compensation order for the “inconvenience and distress caused” to the four customers involved.

Watt must pay back a total of £285 to the four people caught up in the scheme and she was also issued with a fine of £290.

Watt admitted fraudulently obtaining £245 by advertising kittens for sale, receiving deposits and failing to provide the kittens to the buyers, all with the intent to defraud and obtain £245 by fraud, between June 1 and July 30, 2020.