A HAPTON accountant who fleeced a firm out of more than £62,000 is facing jail.

Self-employed Andrew Shapland, 51, lied about his qualifications when he was taken on by the firm, put money into his own account with unauthorised transfers and forged cheques.

Shapland, of Leigh Park, Hapton, who runs Abacus Accountancy and Management Services in Nelson, admitted theft charges when he appeared at Burnley Crown Court.

He was remanded in custody until Monday by Judge Beverley Lunt, who said the case was complicated and she wanted to think about sentence.

David Temkin, prosecuting, told the court the offences took place between July 1998 and January 2004, when the defendant was providing accountancy services for Pendle Frozen Foods, Nelson.

Directors of the company were not aware in 1998, the defendant had been convicted of four counts of theft from his former employers, a Rover dealership in Blackburn, where he had worked between 1990 and 1995.

Mr Temkin said the defendant introduced the transfer system BACS to Pendle Frozen Foods. He was responsible for all the finances of the company.

In December 2003, director Anthony Platt discovered a BACS payment which had been made directly to the defendant to which he was not entitled.

Then in January 2004, Shapland left suddenly and more discrepancies were found at the firm.

A piece of paper was also found which appeared to be an attempt to forge Mr Platt's signature so police were called in.

It also emerged Shapland did not have the qualification he had claimed to have.

Tim Storrie, defending, said Shapland had committed a gross abuse of trust and the consequences had caused profound anxiety to Mr Platt and his family.

Mr Storrie said the defendant felt a great deal of shame.

The barrister went on: "He completely accepts his guilt. He completely accepts what is going to happen go him.

"He has had to explain to his sons he won't be around in the future."