Simon Mark Cooper, the former masonry manager at conservation firm St Blaise\'s masonry works on Portland, Dorset, has been jailed for defrauding the company of £46,000.

Dorchester Crown Court sentenced Cooper to 12 months in prison. Cooper had admitted 17 charges of fraud against St Blaise during the four years he worked for them.

The court heard that the offences came to light two weeks after Cooper had been ordered to resign because of poor work. Certain irregularities were discovered on Cooper\'s computer involving invoices from a contract for the British Museum.

Cooper\'s barrister said outside the court after the sentence had been imposed that Cooper had used the money to pay off debts after his divorce.

Ian Constantinides, managing director of St Blaise, was furious that his former employee could be out of prison in just four months and would not have pay the company any compensation for his crimes.

He says that Cooper stole the money in order to sustain an extravagant lifestyle and had been asked to resign after a series of disciplinary meetings.

"I am extremely angry about the damage he has done to the company," says Constantinides. "We have to try to recover that £46,000 by October and in a competitive world that may mean some job cuts."