A WOMAN has been charged with the theft of £132,000 from Southampton cigarette giant British American Tobacco (BAT).

Louise Clarke, 35, of King Edward Avenue, Southampton, has been charged with 12 counts of obtaining a money transfer by deception, one count of attempting to obtain a money transfer by deception and two counts of false accounting.

Company bosses called in the police in November when it appeared money had gone missing from its accounts.

A female employee was suspended as part of an internal probe.

Clarke was arrested on November 30 and bailed while detectives went through the BAT books.

She is now accused of stealing £132,430 and attempting to steal a further £25,445.

BAT, the world's second largest cigarette manufacturer, closed its Millbrook production plant in December after phasing out more than 500 jobs.

It has moved manufacturing work to eastern Europe although it will retain a research and development presence in the city where it once employed 1,200 people.

BAT makes Kent, Dunhill, Lucky Strike and Pall Mall cigarettes.

A spokesman for the company said that it said it would not comment on individual cases but said its policy was to "rigorously pursue any employee that it believes defrauded the company".

Clarke, who gave her occupation as unemployed, has been bailed to appear at Southampton Magistrates' Court on Thursday.