A SHIFT manager at Dunfermline's Pizza Hut has been ordered to do unpaid work after admitting stealing over £1000 of takings to feed his gambling addiction.

Mohammed Shoaib, 51, appeared for sentencing at Dunfermline Sheriff Court on Wednesday after earlier admitting that on February 12, 2016, at the restaurant on Turnstone Road, he stole a quantity of money.

During a previous hearing, the court had heard that Shoaib's duties included cashing up at the end of the working day and securing the day's takings into a safe.

This had been his responsibility on the Friday night when the theft took place and the following Monday morning, the area manager had been checking takings when she noticed that day's were missing.

She sent a text message to Shoaib, of Locke Grove, Motherwell, who said he would check the pockets of his uniform.

He later sent the general manager a text stating that his gambling addiction "continues to haunt" him and said they should get around £700 from wages from the 60 hours he had worked that week and a tax refund he was due.

He then offered to repay the balance within two weeks and apologised for the inconvenience caused but later sent another message saying he hadn't had "much luck" in obtaining the £1000 owed.

Defence solicitor Aime Allan said £610.65 had been paid back already.

Sheriff Charles Macnair placed Shoaib on a community payback order with 12 months supervision requiring him to do 225 hours of unpaid work within six months and pay compensation of £610 within a year.

"You were employed in Pizza Hut in a responsible position and you were effectively entrusted with this money but you stole it. This was a significant breach of trust.

"You have however, probably not voluntarily, made some repayment and I take into account that the sums were not vast although they were significant.

"Had they been much bigger than £1000, then you would almost certainly be facing a custodial sentence. In the circumstances, I am prepared to deal with this by way of a non custodial sentence."