A delivery driver with a string of convictions stole parcels from his bosses within hours of starting on his very first day.

Dover man David Haywood had a string of convictions dating back 30 years, including many for theft.

Yodel – which boasts Amazon and Boots among its top clients – hired him as one of its drivers in October last year.

But within hours of beginning his new job and within minutes of being left alone in his van, the 48-year-old dad started pilfering parcels.

He pocketed mobile phones and two days later stole a parcel with £5,000 of jewellery inside, which should have been delivered to an Ashford jewellers!

And when Haywood, of Percival Terrace was questioned about the missing items he produced bogus receipts before trying to stitch up one of his bosses.

Judge Heather Norton told the sly thief: “You are, in short, thoroughly dishonest and have an appalling criminal record”, to which Hayward replied: “Yes”.

Canterbury Crown Court heard the man Yodel trusted to deliver expensive items has a 57-offence criminal CV, including convictions for burglary, theft, forgery, vehicle interference and stealing electricity.

In 2004 Hayward, who is expecting to become a dad for the second time later this year, was jailed in Jersey for six-and-a-half years for drug dealing.

And, amazingly, despite being sacked by Yodel, he has landed a job delivering pizza in Dover, which drew a response from the judge:

“Another delivery job where he will be handling cash and in a position of trust? Do they know about his previous convictions?”

Phil Rowley, defending, said he believed the company had made the appropriate checks before appointing him.

Prosecutor Peter Forbes told the court: “He was employed by Yodel on October 22 last year ...and the first theft took place that day!”

He said that initially a senior employee had accompanied him to show him him round – but left at 2.30 pm, and Hayward immediately started helping himself to goods.

“He took two mobile phones which were to be delivered from the Carphone Warehouse to a member of the public.

“The phones never arrived and were later recovered from Haywood but only after he stole jewellery which should have been delivered to Ernest Jones Jewellers in Ashford, valued at £5097.08.”

Mr Forbes said that when the driver was questioned he showed a receipt that both the phones and the jewellery had been delivered.

But CCTV footage in Ashford proved that the receipts were fakes and on November 1 police in Hastings spotted Hayward behaving suspiciously and searched him.

Inside a bag, they discovered the phones and £468 worth of the stolen jewellery, added Mr Forbes.

“He was interviewed by the police and maintained that the items had been delivered. He said he had been with the boss on his first day, who had been teaching him the rounds and suggested to police they should interview him...thus trying to implicate someone else as being responsible.”

The prosecutor said it was then revealed that the boss had left Hayward by himself in the afternoon.

“He was employed by Yodel on October 22 last year... and the first theft took place that day!” - prosecutor Peter Forbes

Judge Heather Norton said Hayward had lied to his employers, lied to the police and then lied to a probation officer preparing a report prior to sentencing.

His lawyer Phil Rowley said: “In stealing he succumbed all too readily to temptation.”

Hayward was given a 21-month jail sentence suspended for two years and ordered to do 240 hours of unpaid work for the community.

The judged ruled he owed £5129.08 but ordered him to only repay £1 because he couldn't afford to pay.

She said he had claimed he was a hard worker, who was trying to put his criminal past behind him, to provide for his family.

“The trouble is that doesn’t sit very easily with the fact you stole on the first day of a job in which you would have earned money to look after your family!

“You have avoided going straight to prison by the skin of your teeth.”