A BENEFITS worker stole almost £4,500 which should have been paid to claimants.

Ashley Prince, who was employed by the Department for Work and Pensions at Elizabeth House in Bolton, worked as a customer service advisor.

But Bolton Crown Court heard how 27-year-old Prince was also a drug and gambling addict and used his position to divert Universal Credit payments, meant for society's poorest people, to his own bank account.

Anthony Stephenson, prosecuting, told how Prince, who was also studying for an HND in biology at university, began working for the organisation in March last year.

But, for a two week period, before he left in October, he used his access to the computer system to change bank account details for several claimants , diverting the payments into his own Nationwide account.

Altogether Prince stole £4,485.22 before leaving to fly to Australia.

He was arrested at Manchester Airport when he returned to the UK on February 5.

Prince, of Seddon Lane, Radcliffe, pleaded guilty to eight counts of theft from an employer.

James Preece, defending, said that Prince had been addicted to crack cocaine since 2015, selling his property and using his student finance to pay for his habit.

He stressed that the thefts were not sophisticated, with Prince using his own name, password and computer identity to access claimants' accounts, the proceeds going into the same bank account his salary was paid into.

"It would not have taken long for the Department for Work and Pensions to realise what was going on," he said.

Mr Preece added that Prince had gone to Australia for a fresh start and to rid himself of his addictions, a move which he claims has been successful.

"He tells me he is a different person to the person he was at the time of this offending," said Mr Preece.

Sentencing Prince to 10 months in prison, suspended for two years, Judge Graeme Smith told him that his actions would have adversely affected claimants when they realised Universal Credit payments had not gone into their accounts.

"They are, by definition, the most needy people in society," said Judge Smith.

"I have no doubt it will have led to concern and distress for a number of people."

As part of his sentence Prince must undertake 240 hours of unpaid work and participate in 15 days of rehabilitation activities.