A MEMBER of staff at Oxford Brookes University stole about £3,700 from his employer over a three-month period, a jury heard yesterday.

Mark Hughes, 39, of Southfield Park, East Oxford, who worked in the print section of the university’s media centre, denied at Oxford Crown Court 20 counts of theft.

Hugh Williams, prosecuting, said the print section received cash payments for work carried out for students When discrepancies were discovered last October with what had been taken and with the accounts, an informal investigation blamed a combination of “bad tilling and counting, and not taking proper account of void receipts”, Sally Horwood, head of department, told the court.

When the irregularities became more frequent, a police investigation ensued.

Mr Williams said no staff member needed to access the print room out of hours, but that Hughes did do.

Mrs Horwood said there was an “element of doubt” in her mind that it was bad accounting which was responsible for the discrepancies.

The trial continues.