A postman who went on a Christmas thieving spree to pay off his debts has been jailed.
Royal Mail employee Brian Lamb stopped delivering his rounds after falling into a depression in August last year - and he began to pinch the occasional package or card.
But Manchester magistrates court heard how his thieving soon escalated as he racked up thousands of pounds of debt and began to suffer family difficulties.
Lamb has now been was jailed after pleading guilty to six charges of theft at an earlier hearing in June.
A judge heard how the 23-year-old would leave notes at the homes he was delivering to, claiming the recipients were not in to collect their parcels.
When the customers visited the sorting office to collect their packages, they could not be found.
After a string of complaints from the public, Royal Mail investigated the disappearances and tracked them down to Lamb’s delivery rounds.
When his van was searched, up to 60 undelivered packages and letters were found, including Christmas cards and presents.
An investigation into the postman revealed that he had stolen a pair of £40 shoes, an Xbox game and £350 worth of vouchers, which he later sold on for only £200.
The shoes had also been delivered by an independent courier service and placed in a safe place.
But Lamb’s thefts were not limited to the parcels and packages he was meant to deliver.
He also plundered the petty cash pot at the postal sorting office in Levenshulme, pocketing £60 out of the Royal Mail coffers.
Sending Lamb down for 12 months in prison, District Judge Khalid Qureshi told him that he had had ruined the public’s faith in the postal service.
“You worked for two and a half years with the postal service,” he said. “You not only breached the trust [between employers and employees] but also the public’s trust in Royal Mail.
“The point of your depression in relation to family difficulties is not an excuse for your persistent criminal behaviour over many months.”
Lamb, of Chepstow Avenue in Sale, was sentenced to six six-month sentences for the theft charges against him, all of which will run concurrently.
He was also sentenced to another six-month term, also to run consecutively, for willingly interfering with the post.