A WORKER at an undertaker's stole thousands of pounds from an elderly woman paying for her funeral.

Doris Brown handed over a cheque for £2,032 to Jason Flynn, 37, who worked at Co-operative Funeral Services in Thame, earlier this year.

But when she died in June, friends discovered Flynn had pocketed the money and used it to pay off debts.

Flynn was given a community order at Oxford Crown Court yesterday after admitting obtaining by deception.

Peter Coombe, prosecuting, told the court Mrs Brown had not filled out the payee section on the cheque. Flynn wrote in his own name and paid the cheque into his bank.

Mrs Brown died weeks later, and friends discovered the money was missing when they started to organise her funeral.

Mr Coombe added: "Two friends who were aware of her arrangements discovered she had paid for her funeral but the Co-op had no record of it."

They got hold of her bank details and the cheque showed Mr Flynn's handwriting on it, the court heard.

Kate Lumbers, defending, said Flynn, had been dismissed from the Midcounties Co-op funeral service on a different matter.

She told the court he planned to pay the money back.

She said: "He built up considerable debts, somewhere in the region of £100,000.

"He now pays a debt management company but his finances are not under control."

Judge Julian Hall said he would not order any costs or compensation because Flynn's finances were 'on a knife-edge'.

Flynn, of Great Meadow Way, Aylesbury, was ordered to carry out 50 hours' community service over the next 12 months.