A SOCIAL club official credited with saving it from closure stole more than £2,000 in takings, a court heard yesterday.

Harrogate magistrates heard how the work done by 52-year-old Gerald Evans as secretary of the town's Harlow Hill Social Club was largely responsible for it turning losses into profit.

But the court also heard that Evans, of Park Drive, Harrogate, where he cares for his 88-year-old father, stole £2,380 from club funds between June 6 and July 30.

Yesterday, Evans pleaded guilty to theft.

Mark Haigh, prosecuting, said the money and four cheques - later found torn up at Evans' home - had been handed to him for banking by the club steward.

The missing cash had come to light when the treasurer checked a bank statement and the police were called in.

In mitigation, Geoffrey Rogers said Evans, who had lost his job as an IT trainer with a financial services company, had been living on a £40 a week pension and finding it increasingly difficult to make ends meet.

He had gone to the bank with the cash and parked in a 20-minute bay, but, faced with a long queue and fearing he would not get back to his car in time, he took the money home intending to return later.

Evans, who had repaid all the cash, began to dip into the cash in what his solicitor said had been a regrettable lapse for which he apologised.

Court chairman John Carter told Evans theft in breach of trust often merited a prison sentence, but ordered him to do 200 hours of unpaid community work and pay costs of £70.