A bank where a teller stole more than $9,000 has reassured customers that security is its first priority.

Last week Michael Hayward, 26, of Devonshire, a teller at Capital G, admitted to stealing a total of $9,745 when he appeared at Magistrates' Court.

The court heard that a client, Valerie Medeiros, complained about noticing an unlawful transaction on her account. It emerged at court that Hayward would choose customers randomly, transfer money from their accounts in to his own, destroy the original transactions slips then withdraw the money from his own account.

In a statement after the case, Ian Truran, Chief Relationship Management Officer for Capital G, said: "The few customers affected were immediately notified by representatives of the Bank at the time of the incident and account balances reconciled.

"It is unfortunate that fraud takes place in many organisations. Capital G is pleased that our strict monitoring processes and procedures were able to quickly identify and resolve the incident."

Mr. Truran added: "Security of our customer's assets and personal information is our first priority. Capital G has a strong policy with regards to employee fraud and continues to examine global security trends to ensure instances like these are preventable."

After this incident was reported to Police, Hayward's employment was immediately terminated.

A substantial custodial sentence was suggested by Crown Counsel Robert Welling, due to the nature of the crime, of 12 months to two years.

This matter was adjourned until February 27 pending a social inquiry report. Bail was set at $5,000 plus one surety.