The manager of a Jewson branch who stole a bathroom suite worth almost £6,000 has been given a suspended jail sentence and community service.

Nicholas Franklin, manager of the Bourne branch, stole the items piece-by-piece over a 12-month period, by loading them into his car when none of his colleagues were around. He then installed them in his home in Spalding, Lincoln Crown Court heard.

Jewson began an investigation while searching for unaccounted stock. Investigators visited Franklin’s home and noted the bathroom floor tiles came from the store.

Further inquiries revealed that, although Franklin had paid for some tiles, others were not accounted for. Franklin later confessed to taking the tiles as well as a bathroom suite and an underfloor heating system, claiming he thought it was a perk of the job.

Franklin admitted theft, received a six-month jail sentence suspended for 12 months and 200 hours of unpaid work. He was also ordered to pay £340 towards prosecution costs.

Judge Michael Heath said: “You helped yourself over a 12-month period to a bathroom suite and tried to cover your tracks by cleverly falsifying documents. You saw this as a perk of the job but this was a serious breach of trust.”