Disgraced Wakefield solicitor facing legal action from four charities and the church

Legal proceedings have begun to recoup money taken by Linda Box who was jailed in 2017.

The 70-year-old is currently serving a seven-year sentence at HMP Low Newton in Durham after it was discovered that she had swindled £4,085,058 over a period of more than a decade to fund a lavish lifestyle.

It has now been confirmed that four charities - Guide Dogs, the British Heart Foundation, the National Trust, and Yorkshire Cancer Research - are now taking action after it was found that some of the money Box had stolen had been left to them.

The Bishop of Leeds has also put in a claim on behalf of the Church of England after she was found to have stolen £63,000 from the church.

Box's offending came to light in 2016 while she worked as a senior partner at solicitors' firm Dixon, Coles and Gill.

Her work partner Julian Gill found ‘irregular payments’ to members of Box's family including her two sons, her sister and the family-run business Eric F Box Ltd.

It had continued over a 12-year period, in which time she paid off multiple mortgages, went on shopping sprees, stayed in expensive hotels, bought vintage wines and designer shoes.

Box, whose address at the time of her sentencing was Halifax Road, Dewsbury, was jailed after admitting nine charges of fraud, two of forgery, and one for theft.