A LOCAL businessman has apologised to his customers, after his former employee admitted in court he had been stealing from the shop.

Bill Ellis, who owns The Key Shop in Castle Street, Trowbridge, went to the police after discovering his former manager Paul Lillywhite was short-changing customers and stealing cash. The case has taken two-and-a-half years to come to court: Lillywhite appeared before Winchester Crown Court on February 27.

The 60-year-old, of Upper Court, Radstock, pleaded guilty to three counts of theft by an employee and was given a 12-month conditional discharge and required to pay £200 in compensation and £500 in prosecution costs.

After the case Wiltshire Police issued a statement saying: “The charges relate to offences which occurred in September 2016.

“Further charges of theft (by employee) and acquiring, using or possessing criminal property were not proceeded and ordered to remain on file.”

Mr Ellis said: “I am sorry to my customers for not realising sooner. I don’t know how many customers have been short-changed and it makes me so upset. Customers are the most important thing in a business.

“It wasn’t until we had CCTV footage of him short-changing customers and shoving stock down his pants that we had proof. He was the shop manager for 17 years and was in a position of trust.

“What upset me the most was the odd pound he would short-change a little old lady. That could have paid for her bread or milk and he did not need to steal that. That hit home for me a littleI’m disappointed with his sentence and feel let down. I feel the police have been let down as well after all their hard work but it is what it is.”

“Our suspicions first arose when he would cash up the till every night and he would always have the figure correct to the penny every single time.

“I have been cashing up for 35 years and you can almost guarantee I would make an occasional mistake, but he never did.”

Mr Ellis ran a key cutting and shoe repairs business in The Shires for 23 years, where Lillywhite began working for him. After the business moved to Castle Place shopping centre CCTV cameras were installed.

Lillywhite later set up his own key cutting bar in the unit in The Shires previously occupied by Mr Ellis’ business.