A WORCESTER man stole almost £1,000 from a football league that provides referees for schools and local clubs.

Michael Berry admitted the theft of £922.50 cash from sixasideleagues.com when he appeared at Worcester Magistrates Court.

The court was told that Berry, 27, of Lowesmoor, had a previous conviction for stealing from another former employer, Staybright Windows, and from Macmillan Cancer.

In sentencing Berry to six months in prison suspended for two years, District Judge Kevin Grego, said: "The vein of dishonesty running through you is fairly thick. You have come very close to going to prison today."

Berry was employed by sixasideleagues.com, an organisation providing referees for football matches played by schools and local clubs, for two months.

Mark Soper, prosecuting, said one of the duties required by employees was to collect money from the teams taking part. They could then take a certain amount for expenses and the rest would be banked into the company account within seven days.

Mr Soper said: "He attended nine five-a-side events with a number of teams playing. On each occasion, various amounts should have been paid into the account.

"When they were not, the company wrote to Mr Berry asking where the money had gone."

The offences took place between July 8 and August 16 last year.

Berry was later arrested and told police he had not paid the money into the account because he had been distracted with other matters, and accepted he should have paid it in.

Paul Stanley, defending, told the court Berry was trying to re-establish a relationship with his partner and young daughter.

He said: "He provided the money to his partner to try to get in contact with his daughter and regain his partner's affections. He is a man who has done wrong but not on a regular basis. He is not regularly before the court."

On top of the suspended sentence, Berry was told to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work in the next 12 months and has been made the subject of a two-year supervision requirement. He will also pay £922 compensation to the company and £60 court costs.