A MAN working as a debt collector for a credit union pocketed cash handed over to him by clients.

Blackburn magistrates heard that David Charles Harrison had been working on a volutnary basis but his dishonesty did not come to light until after the loan organisation had given him a full-time job.

The court heard that he got the job despite having a previous conviction for theft as an employee and false accounting.

Harrison, 53, of Shadsworth House, Dunoon Drive, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to theft as an employee of Jubilee Tower Credit Union. He was remanded on bail for the preparation of a pre-sentence report.

John Wood, prosecuting, said Harrison was working as a debt recovery agent which involved him visiting the homes of customers who had missed payments.

"It seems some of the money he collected never reached the company," said Mr Wood. "The defendant accepted that on occasions he had spent the money on living expenses and on some occasions alcohol.

"He was dealing with people who have credit and loan difficulties and this kind of incident will have caused them considerable distress," said Mr Wood.

Andrew Church-Taylor, defending, said Harrison had been placed with the credit union by Bootstrap Enterprises on a voluntary basis.

He received £15 a week on top of his benefits.

"The difficulty was that he was worse off than before," said Mr Church-Taylor. "He had travelling expenses and because of the hours he worked he was unable to eat the meals provided for him at Shadsworth House. He told the people at Bootstrap that he was in financial difficulties."

Mr Church-Taylor said that when the financial shortfall began to bite Harrison started to use money he should have bee paying into the bank.

"The arrangement was that if everything worked out he would be given a permanent job and he planned to repay the money then," said Mr Church-Taylor.

"That did happen but by then he had taken £440 and that was beyond his means."

Mr Church-Taylor said before the placement Harrison had been unemployed for 15 months and he saw it as a way of regaining some dignity.

"He very much regrets that he has let down the credit union which was prepared to give him that chance," said Mr Church-Taylor. "Fortunately all the people who gave him money received a receipt and everyone has had their accounts adjusted accordingly."