A SELF-STYLED “wellness coach” was shedding pounds from her body while stealing nearly £100,000 from her company bosses, a court has heard.

Leanne Rungay, 28, of Warren Drive, Basildon, promotes herself on Instagram as “helping others look and feel great” and has more than 1,600 followers.

She claims diet and exercise helped her lose five stone and 13 per cent of her body fat.

But as she was shedding the pounds, the fitness fanatic also stole £94,934.83 from recruitment firm Spencer Ogden Energy.

She appeared in the dock at Westminster Magistrates’ Court where she admitted transferring the money from the company account to her savings.

Rungay siphoned off the money when working in the billing assistance and payroll department in Charlotte Street, Fitzrovia, central London, between June 21, 2014, and September 16 last year.

Kate Shilton, prosecuting, said: “Whilst employed by Spencer Ogden in the billing assistance and payroll department, the defendant transferred money from the company business account to her own savings account.

“The amount was just short of £95,000.”

Rungay, who flaunts her figure on her Instagram account to inspire others to lose weight, admitted theft by employee.

She also posts ‘before’ and ‘after’ pictures of herself to show off her transformation.

Deputy District Judge Adrian Turner found the case was too serious for magistrates to deal with and sent the case to crown court for sentence.

She has been bailed to next appear at Southwark Crown Court on an unspecified date.

The timing will be determined by the crown court at a later date.

Spencer Ogden’s website describes the company as “the world’s leading recruitment company in energy, engineering and infrastructure”.