Mum stole, gambled away $193,000 of dying son's cancer fund

The mother of a little UK boy who died from cancer has admitted defrauding the fund set up to pay for his treatment. Photo / Nye Family

The mother of a little UK boy who died from cancer has admitted defrauding the fund set up to pay for his treatment.

Toby - who had high-risk neuroblastoma, a rare form of cancer - died in January just days after his sixth birthday.

The fund raised £200,000 (NZ$387,000) after friends, family, supporters and players from Leeds football club all donated to support the youngster.

But as donations rolled in, his mother Stacey Worsley abused her position as a trustee of the fund, stealing $193,000 from the earnings before gambling it away.

Worsley pleaded guilty to one charge of committing fraud by false representation and is due to be sentenced on March 29.

Toby Nye, pictured with Leeds captain Liam Cooper, died in January. Photo / Leeds United

West Yorkshire Police said the fraud did not impact Toby's medical treatment.

Toby became ill in late 2016 and on his fourth birthday in January 2017 he was told he had a stage-four neuroblastoma tumour.

In July 2018, Toby's treatment showed his bone marrow was clear of cancer, but later that year he was diagnosed with a brain tumour.

He died on January 12, 2019.

Police said it had secured the return of "all of the money", which will now go to a local good cause yet to be decided on.

It is believed the money was being recovered from online gambling companies Worsley had spent the money at.