A bank manager stole cash from his branch to pay for his mounting debts.

Richard Griffiths repeatedly pocketed small amounts of cash from Alliance and Leicester to pay for his mortgage and credit card bills.

The 37-year-old, of Belsize Close, Worthing, made off with hundreds of pounds of customers’ cash during just one year at the Chapel Road bank.

Yesterday Griffiths pleaded guilty at Worthing Magistrates Court in Christchurch Road, Worthing, to one count of theft by employee and five counts of fraud by abuse of position.

Prosecutor Linda Arnell said £1,255 had been taken from the bank by Griffiths between March 2008 and January 2009.

The court was told that the bank boss was only discovered after another member of staff became suspicious and reported him.

The company’s fraud investigators were then called in to monitor the bank.

The court was told that the 37-year-old, who had no previous convictions, was in debt with a mortgage and credit cards.

Griffiths, who was sacked by Alliance and Leicester, is now paying back all of the stolen cash.

The court was told that he has now found a new job and helps out in the community, running a five-a-side football team.

Worthing magistrates sentenced him to 100 hours of community service.

Yesterday The Argus visited Griffiths’ home but he did not answer.

Griffiths is the second bank manager to be found guilty of theft in the last two months, In June Cathy Otero, a manager for the Alliance and Leicester’s four branches in Brighton and Hove, was jailed for 27 months after stealing £259,000 from accounts to fund her gambling addiction.

Otero, of The Parks, Portslade, pleaded guilty to 15 charges of stealing cash from 14 accounts.

In her desperation she even stolen £43,000 from a sick friend who trusted her enough to let her handle her financial affairs.

Many of the victims were elderly people who did not use their accounts very often.

She stole more than £57,000 from one couple over five months.

Another victim had more than £38,000 plundered from his account over 11 months.

The bank repaid the money to the customers.

Otero handed over some money to compensate the Alliance and Leicester for some of its losses.

The scale of her stealing came to light after an investigation into financial irregularities by another employee at the bank’s branch in Western Road, Brighton.

A spokesman for Alliance and Leicester said: "Alliance and Leicester takes fraud and the security of our customers funds very seriously.

“Whilst we do not comment on individual cases, we always fully investigate and cooperate with the police should we believe that fraud has taken place."