A postmaster who took money from the post office safe to pay for a shop extension has been jailed for a year.

Yogesh Patel, 53, who ran the shop in Southend, Croydon, pleaded guilty to fraud at Croydon Crown Court.

An audit on February 4, revealed heavy losses at the post office where Patel had worked since 1986.

An inspection was carried out to analyse the shop's financial activities over the previous year. Patel was interviewed as part of the process and made a full admission.

The court heard Patel's financial troubles started shortly after he started the building work.

Dianne Chan, prosecuting, said: "His troubles started when he began building work, an extension which would mean his customers would not have to queue outside the shop.

"This cost £130,000, but banks were not lending and it caused enormous problems. He didn't know what to do."

As the shop's takings dropped, Patel of Sandilands, Croydon, failed to sell a property he had in Stafford Road, forcing him to take money from the post office.

Patel repaid £10,000 during the early stages of the investigation and has since paid back the total amount taken.

Sentencing Patel and ordering him to pay costs of £2,132 costs, Recorder Methuen said: "I give you credit for repaying the money, but the fact remains that you were a postmaster, and in that capacity you had access to large sums of money and were trusted by the community and your customers, but you used it as if it were your own, to get yourself out of trouble."