The manager of Basingstoke Crematorium has admitted to faking petty cash reports to steal more than £4,000 from his employer.

Andrew Leslie James, of Upper Farm Road, Oakley, pleaded guilty to nine counts of false accounting at Salisbury Crown Court on Monday (February 8).

The court heard how the 52-year-old “dishonestly” faked petty cash reports which made it look as though sums of money were being paid out from the company he worked for, Dignity Plc, to other companies between January 23 2012 and March 26 2018.

Dignity Plc is one of the country’s largest providers of funeral services, with funeral directors across the country, including two in Basingstoke on Worting Road and Seal Road. It also manages 46 crematoria as The Crematorium & Memorial Group, including Basingstoke Crematorium where Mr James was employed as manager.

He was dismissed in August 2018 following disciplinary processes.

Beverely Da Costa, prosecuting, and Jonathan Rosen, defending, agreed the offence fell into Culpability A category, a starting point of 26 weeks custodial sentence.

Mr Rosen said: “There is an abuse of trust, I can’t say it isn’t.”

However, he added that “the defendant is of good character” and requested that a pre-sentence report be produced “with the view to considering a suspended sentence”.

Recorder Gordon Bebb QC ordered this report and adjourned the case for sentencing, which will take place at Winchester Crown Court on March 12.

Mr James remains on unconditional bail.