A former executive of a Bradford community organisation has been jailed today for 12 months for defrauding it of £24,574 over a 14-month period.

Zubare Khan, 36, of Parkside Road, West Bowling, who was the assistant executive officer of Bradford Trident, admitted the fraud last October and was sentenced at Bradford Crown Court this morning.

He made false invoices and doctored invoices, billing Trident for work done on his own four properties in the Bradford area.

He also sent bills to Trident for hire of a minibus from a local scout group that had been used to take his family to the seaside. to an amusement park and also for his brother's wedding.

Trident had also paid for the university graduate to take a masters degree as he rose through the ranks of the company to earn £42,000.

The court heard that Trident was financed by the New Deal for Communities programme and was tasked with regenerating the 'deprived' inner-city areas of West Bowling and Marshfields.

His job as assistant executive officer meant he was in charge of maintaining Trident's buildings.

In total, there were 37 false invoices, the court was told today.

Judge Peter Benson told him: "You wanted to enhance your already high status in the community and you got greedy and went about a sophisticated fraud."

Mitigating, Khan's solicitor Nick Worsley said Khan was a broken man and had already paid back more than £9,000. He could not pay back the rest because his assets had been put under restraint.

"It's not the whine of a man who says 'poor me'.

"It's a man who appreciates the impact his offending has had," Mr Worsley said.

Detective Constable Richard Oxley, of Bradford District CID, said: "Khan took advantage of his senior role with a community organisation to help himself to thousands of pounds of public money.

"This cash was intended for the regeneration of a deprived inner city area, but was used by Khan for his own personal benefit.

"Defrauding the public purse is a serious criminal matter and the courts have recognised this with the sentence he has received.

"Today marks the end of what has been a lengthy and complex investigation and I would like to thank all those who have assisted in bringing it to this successful conclusion."