A WIRRAL charity chairman who spent £72,000 intended for toys for special needs children to pay his debts has been warned he faces a jail sentence.

In a surprise move at Liverpool Crown Court last Thursday, Peter Vogwell - who had initially pleaded not guilty - changed his plea and admitted he had dishonestly taken the cash.

On the seventh day of his trial, at the end of the prosecution case and following legal discussions, 52 alternative charges of false accounting were put to 46-year-old Vogwell to which he pleaded guilty.

He had originally faced 50 charges of obtaining property by deception and two of obtaining a money transfer by deception. On Thursday he admitted the final two charges and the jury cleared him of the others on the judge's direction.

Judge Charles James warned Vogwell, who was the chairman of Wirral Resource Centre and Toy Library, that he faces a custodial sentence. He further remanded him on bail to await sentence on November 10 after a pre-sentence report has been prepared.

Miss Anne Whyte, prosecuting, had told the court that Vogwell, of Poll Hill Road, Heswall, was a gambler who took money from the registered charity and used it keep himself afloat financially.

Vogwell's mother Margaret founded the registered charity, which lends therapeutic toys and equipment, in 1968. He was involved in the charity for many years and he became its chairman between 1994 and 2003.

He handled the income and expenditure, maintaining financial records and was a signatory for its bank account.

Miss Whyte told the court that while Vogwell was away in July 2003, a financial crisis arose when there was not enough money to pay the few staff members their small amounts of wages.

An accountant investigated the problem and it was discovered that some cheques written from the charity had been paid to Vogwell personally and a police investigation began.

Miss Whyte said Vogwell destroyed cheque stubs so the charity would think money had been paid out to suppliers.

The court heard when Vogwell was arrested he told detectives he did not understand about finances, and accepted the 52 items listed in the charity's cash book were paid into his own account, but he denied doing so dishonestly.

Miss Whyte told the jury that Vogwell had been seriously in debt and had to provide for a large family. From 2000 he had no obvious source of income and numerous credit cards.

"He needed to skim off the charity to juggle his levels of debt," she said.

He presented himself as a solidly respectable pillar of his prosperous community but the reality was different, she added.

"Underneath the affable, trustworthy, competent veneer there is a gambler, juggling his debts, keeping himself afloat with timely and sneaky, disguised payments from the charity to himself."

A spokesman for the charity said after the hearing that the Toy Library is continuing its regular daily activities supporting around 100 families and a new chairman and officers were appointed in 2003.

"We are confident that with the continuing support of Wirral Social Services, our numerous enthusiastic and committed volunteers, fund raisers and supporters together with our dedicated staff that the future of the Toy Library is secure.

"In a recent OFSTED inspection we were granted the top grade."