CHURCH treasurer, praised for his diligent fundraising, was also secretly stealing thousands of pounds from the same church.

Ian Roberts pocketed more than £6,700 in just over a year, including stealing wedding fees, church roof appeal money, s and even cash given by a parishioner for two communion wine flagons in memory of her late mother, a court heard.

Roberts, who is married with children, had set up his own business but devoted so much time to his church duties that it suffered and he began taking the money to live on but always intended to repay it.

He was jailed for six months.

Roberts, of Queensbury Avenue, Bromborough, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to 16 theft charges, half of them specimen offences spanning July 2000 to September 2001.

David Kerr, prosecuting, said Roberts was initially secretary to the treasurer at St Barnabas' Church in Bromborough and then became a church warden and then treasurer; a voluntary position giving him only expenses.

He was responsible for receiving, managing and accounts for various sums, mainly cash.

On October 11, 2001, he was confronted by the Rev William Hogg with the suggestion that dishonesty was involved in relation to some of the missing funds, and he admitted taking money, but said no other offences were involved.

He handed over a computer disc said to contain the 2001 accounts, but it was found to be blank.