A PARISH council clerk in a village near Selby abused his position to order luxury items for himself, a court heard.

Richard Fogden was being paid £400 a month by Beal Parish Council, when he committed his fraud, Leeds Crown Court heard on Thursday.

Prosecutor Allan Armbrister said Fogden had fraudulently obtained a credit card from Barclays in 2008 in his own name, and although it was initially used or parish council business from around December 2010 the card was used for “domestic and recreational items” from places like HMV and Leeds Direct Arena.

He had spent more than £16,000, with payments made on the card from a direct debit on a parish council account.

Mr Armbrister said the offending was discovered in 2012 after Fogden was suspended from two other parish clerk jobs where it was thought there had been financial irregularities.

In addition to the credit card fraud Fogden made false VAT refund claims for £5000.

Sentencing him Recorder Nick Lumley QC said his abuse of trust had been "shameful and wicked behaviour".

Fogden, 59 of North Ives, Pontefract admitted three charges of fraud and one of stealing money from the council. He was given a 12 month prison sentence suspended for two years with 240 hours unpaid work and ordered to pay £750 prosecution costs.

He was also ordered to repay £21,061.84 to the council or face 12 months in prison.