A postal worker pocketed cash from people's mail while he worked at a sorting office.

Kevin Pullinger, of Shortgate Road, Brighton, was caught after discarded greeting cards were discovered at Gatwick Mail Centre.

The envelopes, most marked with RH or BN postcodes, had been opened.

Pullinger, 45, admitted stealing about £210 in cash from postal packages between March 1 and April 13.

Crawley Magistrates Court heard managers had become suspicious after finding a pile of "violated" mail and decided to carry out CCTV surveillance in the sorting area.

On April 11, two security officers watched as Pullinger looked into various greeting card-type items before placing them in a bundle.

They saw him take two £10 notes from a yellow envelope before replacing the mail.

He was also seen taking £5 from a red envelope and putting it in his trouser pocket.

Pullinger, who had been employed by Consignia for more than two years, was later questioned and admitted stealing about £40 from 17 postal packages that evening and of opening mail for more than a month, pocketing about £170.

He has been suspended from his job.

Magistrates adjourned the case to August 14 for pre-sentence report.