A fireman who stole thousands of pounds from a hardship fund established to help the families of striking colleagues has been spared jail.

And because Ian Young (pictured left) is so highly regarded in Kent Fire and Rescue Service, he has been allowed to keep his job.

A judge decided the public would be better served by 44-year-old Young being punished in the community instead of serving a short prison sentence.

Judge Jeremy Carey told the father-of-three: "The expectation in right-minded members of the public is that those who fall so far below the accepted standard of dishonesty will be punished severely.

"I see no reason why you should be treated as an exception. You say you were under pressure. Many are under pressure, particularly now, but they do not all resort to criminality as you did."

But the judge went on to suspend 12 months' imprisonment for two years and order 200 hours' unpaid work.

Young, a fireman with 19 years' service of Kingfisher Road, Larkfield, admitted stealing £13,000.

Jim Harvey, prosecuting, said the Kent Fire Brigade Hardship Fund was set up in 2002 in response to a national strike and donations were made by trade unions and the public.

A bank account opened for the funds was administered by Young and another fireman, Robert Fitzgerald.

Ian Young works at Larkfield fire station

Mr Fitzgerald took sick leave in 2003 and agreed to sign six blank cheques that could be used in his absence.

"It subsequently transpired that the defendant at some stage paid out a cheque for £13,000 from the business account into his own personal bank account," Mr Harvey told Maidstone Crown Court.

"It was initially by way of a response to a request to remove the money from the account due to tax implications.

"The defendant accepts that having paid it into his personal account, he used the money for his own ends and did not have permission to do so.

"He accepts if he had asked for permission, it would have been refused."

The cash was taken as long ago as 2006 and Young, who is based at Larkfield and has also worked at Strood fire station, paid it back in 2010 after getting a loan from a friend.