A former council worker has been convicted of fraud after paying accomplices more than £450,000 for fake adult care services.

Ceyda Elkatme, 34, a finance officer at Haringey council, made the payments to seven accomplices’ bank accounts totalling £466,000 for adult care services that were never delivered.

The money was then paid back into Elkatme's or her husband's account, whilst taking a cut for themselves.

The fraud took place for more than two years between June 2010 and October 2012 in which Elkatme, from Waltham Cross, made 66 fraudulent payments to the seven others from Haringey Council's Adult Services Payments Team, who were responsible for payments to those providing care to vulnerable in the borough.

Elkatme was charged with fraud by false representation and her co-defendants were all charged with money laundering on June 10 and 11, 2014.

Two women, Tijen Kacakoglu, 35 of Kimberley Road, in Edmonton and Ajda Saykin-Bezci, 39 of Dunheved Road South, Thornton Heath, and two men, Nicos Kolas 33 of Albany Park Avenue, Enfield and Jihad Elkatme, 34, of Sterling Avenue, Waltham Cross (Ceyda's husband) pleaded guilty to money laundering.

Three men, Iqbal Bablu, 27 of Landseer Road, Enfield, Mazar Khan, 35 previously of Millicent Grove, in Palmers Green and Abid Fostok, 32 of Streamside Close, in Edmonton were all found guilty of money laundering on August 10, following a five-day trial at Southwark Crown Court.

Fadumo Ali, 48, of Chauncey Close, in Edmonton was also found not guilty on the same date of acquiring criminal property.

They are due to be sentenced at Southwark Crown Court on Wednesday August 19.

Haringey Borough Commander, Superintendent Amanda Dellar said: "This was a despicable crime where Elkatme abused her position as a finance officer to defraud Haringey Council out of well over £450,000 of what was effectively public money. Working with her husband and accomplices, they set out to launder hundreds of thousands of pounds between them - money which should have been paid to people providing essential care services for vulnerable adults in the borough."

Haringey council Leader Councillor Claire Kober said: "We welcome the outcome of this case. Ms Elkatme showed complete disregard for Haringey's residents and abused her position at the council for the financial gain of herself and those around her.

"We will not tolerate those who seek to defraud local taxpayers to fund their own lavish lifestyles and will always take action and work with the police to investigate and prosecute wherever we discover evidence of wrongdoing."