AN accounts manager who stole more than £25,000 from his employers to fund his cocaine addiction has been jailed for 12 months.

Steven Farrell, aged 30, of St George's Court, Unsworth, Bury, falsified figures at a loan company to pay for his habit, Manchester's Minshull Street Crown Court heard.

He pleaded guilty to five counts of false accounting after the company discovered he had made out five loan agreements and altered the names on the cheques to his own.

Nicoletta Amatino, prosecuting, said Farrell got a job in 2003 at Welcome Finance Services as a customer account manager - a role which involved selling loans and collecting payments.

She said: "He began his job in Oldham and then later moved to Ashton where he was promoted to a senior manager. He opened five loan agreements which form the basis of these charges."

The court heard that Farrell fraudulently acquired the cash over a period of three months.

Ms Amatino said: "The sums of money loaned out amounted to £25,557.61. The company discovered what the defendant had been doing during a review of the branch in February, 2007.

"The defendant was suspended and he then resigned. During police interviews, the defendant admitted falsifying five accounts."

Stuart Nolan, defending, said: "The defendant and members of his family here supporting him are extremely ashamed of his actions.

"He has weaned himself off cocaine and says he is now drug free.

"He knows that what he did was an abuse of trust and what amounts to theft from his previous employers."

Passing sentence, Judge Jonathan Geake said: "It is quite clear looking at all this that what you did was completely out of character.

"But the fact remains that whilst you were working in a senior managerial position, you abused that position.

"This is a serious criminal offence which could result in custody.

"It is impossible for the court not to take that course, given the amount of money involved."