THE assistant finance manager at Michaelwood Services on the M5 near Dursley stole £5,250 which included an £850 donation for Children in Need, a court heard today.

Warren Hellis, 35, began stealing because of personal financial difficulties but then also used some of the money for gambling, Gloucester Crown Court was told.

Hellis, of Pippin Close, Abbeydale, Gloucester, was relieved when he was caught and he handed a letter of confession to his boss and then read it out to police when he was arrested.

Hellis, who admitted theft of the money between August 30 and October 6 last year, was sentenced to nine months jail suspended for two years and ordered to do 180 hours of unpaid work. He was also sentenced to a two months electronically tagged curfew.

Prosecutor Alistair Heggarty said Hellis had worked for about two years as assistant finance manager of Michaelwood Services. Money was found to be missing on October 3 and his manager called him to a meeting.

About £4,500 in coins had gone along with £800 put aside as a donation to Children in Need, he said.

The manager called him to a meeting on October 6 and he gave her a letter in which he essentially admitted his guilt, Mr Haggerty said.

He read out his confession letter at police interview.

Joe Maloney, defending, said: "He is deeply embarrassed by his appearance here today. He has paid back £2,500 of the money since his arrest and he has a job.

"He and his partner found themselves in financial difficulties at the beginning of last year and got in arrears with various utilities. He hoped to work his way out of it and to repay the money.

"But he also got involved in gambling, which exacerbated the problem. I think he was relieved when he was invited to the meeting with his manager."