A desperate dad from Herne Bay fiddled the books at a top school because he was too proud to ask his family for help with spiralling debts.

Mark Downing, of Sunnyhill Road, stole almost £4,000 from St Edmund’s school in Canterbury while working as its payroll and pension administrator.

The father-of-three, 52, admitted the theft when he appeared at Margate Magistrates’ Court.

The court was told Downing had been employed at the St Thomas’ Hill site since 2011, but incurred debts last year.

Prosecuting, Jody Tyman said: “He added money to his pay in December 2015 and January this year without permission, totalling £3,983.

“This was discovered on February 2 when asked to explain some anomalies.

“He then admitted taking the money and that he would pay it back.”

Downing, who left the Royal Navy in 1998, was sacked by bosses at the independent day and boarding school.

Scott Neilson, defending, said Downing was sure they would never notice.

He said: “He convinced himself that they would never notice and persuaded himself that he would be able to pay the money back over a period of time and get away with it.

“People are able to persuade themselves of many things when they are doing something wrong and behaving in an inappropriate manner.

“He accepts that – by the time the school found out – no money had been paid back and that the plan he had convinced himself he could have followed was a bit fanciful.”

“He has tried very hard to bring up three children to abide by the law and feels he has let everyone down" - Scott Neilson, defending

Downing admitted taking the money when school bosses questioned him about the anomalies.

His mother, who he lives with in Herne Bay, lent him the cash to pay the school back.

Mr Neilson added: “He did not do that initially because he was too proud to admit that he had got himself into debt and needed some money.

“He is thoroughly ashamed of his actions and is sorry for any inconvenience caused to the school and embarrassment to his family.

“He has tried very hard to bring up three children to abide by the law and feels he has let everyone down.

“He is very ashamed of his actions and has apologised at every stage to the school and to the police.”

Magistrates handed Downing a 26-week suspended sentence and 150 hours of unpaid work.