A pilfering plumber has been given a suspended jail sentence after pocketing £71,000 by deliberately failing to pay VAT.

Mark Jubb charged customers VAT, but kept the money instead of paying it to HMRC.

He earned more than double the VAT threshold in one year, but didn’t register his business, Ascot Plumbing, for three years, Maidstone Crown Court was told.

The 52-year-old advertised his services under other business names, including Premier Plumbing, and subcontracted out much of his work.

He pleaded guilty to cheating the public revenue and was given a 21 months jail sentence suspended for two years.

The plumber, from Aylesford, was also ordered to do 220 hours unpaid work for the community.

Matt Palmer, assistant director of the Fraud Investigation Service at HMRC, said after the hearing: "Jubb deliberately evaded paying the tax he owed.

"The £71,000 he pocketed is the equivalent to the starting salaries of three trainee firefighters in Kent and by cheating the system he cheated society.

"We encourage anyone with information regarding tax cheats to report them to HMRC online, or call our Fraud Hotline on 0800 788 887."

Jubb now faces a probe into his finances under the Proceeds of Crime Act as HMRC tries to recoup the money.