Two leaders of a charity which was set up to support terminally ill and disabled children have been jailed after stealing money to fund gambling and pay household bills.

Ruksana Khan, 68, and James Donovan, 58, both of Westfield Road, Blackpool, stole more than £300,000 from Kidz Come First – a charity set up by Khan in 2011 – Essex Police said.

The charity did help some families but Khan and Donovan were found to have used large sums for their personal gain.

Recorder William Clegg KC sentenced Khan to five years and 11 months in prison and Donovan to three years in prison at Chelmsford Crown Court on 13 June.

Khan admitted defrauding the charity in 2021 while Donovan denied three counts of fraud before being convicted at the same court in January this year.

Khan set up Kidz Come First in 2011 and ran the charity from her former home in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, which she shared with Donovan, who was a trustee of the organisation.

A police investigation was launched in 2017 after complaints were received by the Charity Commission.

Bank statements revealed thousands of pounds were paid from the charity’s bank account to Khan’s personal account and eventually used on online gambling sites.

Det Con Claire March, who led the investigation, said detectives were applying for confiscation orders to recoup some of the stolen money.

“To steal £315,000 from a children’s charity where the money should have been spent on disabled and terminally ill children for equipment, healthcare and respite holidays is absolutely shocking,” she said.