A customer service manager at Wickes in Swindon has been jailed for 18 months after stealing more than £70,000 from the tills at work through the operation of a false refund scam.

Eammon Burns, 31, stole the cash over the course of 2015 and, according to local press, spent much of it on a second home in Cyprus. His colleagues, meanwhile, missed out on annual bonuses and were subject to an overtime ban.

Swindon Crown Court heard this week how Mr Burns became a manager at the £10m turnover store back in 2013. During his time working for the retailer he oversaw the replenishment of the retail site and was responsible for the £3.5m kitchen and bathroom showroom, six design consultants and around 50 employees.

In December 2015 an investigation into refunds found several repayments made to Mr Burns, with a total in excess of £70,540.

One refund Mr Burns made out to himself was for £6,500. Police also uncovered items including tiles at the offender's house for which he had obtained a refund.

Mr Burns admitted theft in court, saying he had started stealing because he was in debt, but had underestimated what he had taken. He admitted becoming greedy once he had paid off his estimated £6,000 of debt.

He pleaded guilty to one count of theft in court. Judge Tim Mousley QC said, " I am satisfied that to a large extent you were motivated by greed and most of what you obtained seems to have been spent on a reasonable degree of high living.

"The other side of the coin of course is it had an impact on other general members of staff that my attention has been drawn to.

"You said you were motivated by financial gain due to debt you had, but that debt was £6,000 at most.

"But there are other ways of discharging debt, honest ways of discharging debt, and I can't really accept that is the main reason why you stole from your employer, particularly when I take into account you have this property in Greek Cyprus that you still have."