A FAMILY still grieving for a lost father is angry after the woman they believe stole the money collected in his name for Kidney Research was freed on licence.

Julie Mason, 38, has just been released after serving a month of a three-month jail term.

Colin Harris, the father-in-law of kidney disease sufferer Robert Pugh, 27, who died five years ago from a brain haemorrhage, says they have been victims of Mason, jailed by Newport magistrates in February for frauds totalling £35,000.

Mason was said to have taken the money from her employers, Caldicot undertakers Robert Howells funeral directors, from charity collections at funerals and from her husband Duncan.

She pleaded guilty at an earlier date to three counts of theft, one count of obtaining services by deception, four counts of obtaining money by deception and two counts of uttering forged documents with intent to defraud.

In defence Mason's representative said a collapsing marriage and a runaway daughter were behind all the woman's troubles.

Mr Harris and his daughter Tracy, 25, said they were "gutted" by the lenience of the sentencing and the fact that Mason was now free.

The situation was made all the worse by continuing publicity in local and national papers about Mason's relationship with the former mayor of Chepstow Alun Fuller.

"I became suspicious when a few years after Robert's death I had heard nothing from Kidney Research, and I contacted them. They said nothing had come to them. That's when I called in the local CID who started an investigation," he said in his Caldicot home.

Tracy, who was left to look after daughter Amy on her own after Robert died when the little girl was only 13 months-old, said she had felt Mason was a friend up to that point – as a self-employed hairdresser she cut Mason's hair and baby-sat for her, and in turn Mason was always very kind to Amy.

"She always gave her a pound to spend whenever we met," she said.

When Mason pleaded guilty to the frauds funeral directors Robert Howells paid £359.94 to Kidney Research on behalf of Robert – the amount they believe was collected in his name.

"But there is no way of knowing for sure how much was actually involved. This is a long time before they are saying the frauds took place. There might be many other Caldicot families who haven't looked into things in the same way I did," said Mr Harris.

"We really don't think she should be getting away with this so lightly, especially with all the publicity she is getting. It is like rubbing our faces in it."