A CAR park supervisor stole £47,000 from ticket machines and fled with the cash to Spain.

David Such, 37, said he had become stressed after witnessing people repeatedly commit suicide from the top of multi-storey car parks, where he worked.

He is now starting a 15-month jail term.

Family man Such, of Constable Avenue, Burnley, witnessed one 18-year-old take his own life in front of him, Manchester Crown Court heard.

Such hatched an escape plan which saw him empty cash machines at 11 car parks in Manchester city centre, belonging to National Car Parks, and two of the firm’s safes, the court was told.

He fled to Spain with his family after the December 2003 raids, telling his wife that he had won the unexpected windfall at a casino.

But the court heard how the ill-gotten gains never resulted in a life of luxury for the former night car parks supervisor.

Jonathan Dickinson, defending, said he lived in a caravan and worked behind a bar in Spain, only moving into an apartment in the colder winter months.

Eventually Such confessed to his wife and she moved back to England.

The pair were later reunited and he found work as a joiner.

But he was caught when Lancashire Police searched his home on an unrelated matter earlier this year.

His name was entered into the Police National Computer and it was discovered he was still wanted for the car park thefts.

Such admitted theft, at an earlier hearing at Manchester City Magistrates’ Court, and was jailed for 15 months by Judge Iain Hamilton yesterday.

David Lees, prosecuting, said Such had been employed by NCP for five years.

At one point he was the NCP city car parks supervisor in Manchester.

He left for a brief period and returned as the night supervisor for the same firm.

NCP asset protection manager Stephen Bolger left Such in charge in the company’s control room on December 14, 2003.

Later Such claimed to be unwell and said he was going home.

But he took a company van and went to 11 car parks and emptied the takings from the automated ticket machines there.

He also emptied two safes in the control room.

Following the thefts Such, who had no previous convictions, never returned to work and in the following days went to start a new life in Spain with his family, added Mr Lees.

Mr Dickinson, defending, said his client had spoken to the probation service about his problems at work, detailing how many times he had to deal with people committing suicide from jumping from the top of multi-storey car park.