A FORMER Campus Operations Manager at a west Cumbrian school stole toner worth more than £117,000 to fund his gambling addiction.

But a judge at Carlisle Crown Court today spared Wayne Collins, 34, from an immediate jail term after hearing that he has tackled his addiction - and repaid £35,000 to his former employer, St Benedicts Catholic High School in Whitehaven, thanks to a loan from his father-in-law.

The defendant, of Blake Close, Whitehaven, who was a trusted senior manager, admitted theft.

He stole the toner over a six year period - between January 2013 and February of 2019 - and then sold it on to fund his addiction, the court heard.

The alarm was raised by Devon and Cornwall Police, who became aware of large electronic payments being made to the defendant.

Staff and pupils at the Red Lonning school - already battling a budget deficit - had to cope with toner shortages as a result of the theft.

Collins knew the school had a budget deficit, having taken part in discussions about redundancies, the court heard.

A statement from a senior colleague of the defendant, who was also a school governor at St Benedicts for four years, spelled out the impact of the theft.

"Not only was it an abuse of trust," she wrote.

"He was stealing from the school and hard-working children who attend, and putting staff under increased pressure...

"It caused the head teacher, myself, and other members of staff great sadness and disappointment that a trusted member of staff could do this to us."

Brendan Burke, for Collins, said he had shown genuine remorse and was doing all he could to put things right.

This included doing two jobs - one at Morrisons and one at Allerdale Council.

Suspending a two year jail term for two years, Recorder Eric Lamb told Collins he had concluded "on a narrow balance" that the jail term could be suspended because of the harmful impact prison would have on his family.

"There's a realistic prospect of rehabilitation," said the judge, noting that Collins was a man of previous good character.