There can be no excuses for anyone who decides to steal from the coffers of a charity.

And when it is someone who has been given a position of responsibility and trust within an organisation who betrays that trust by committing the crime, that really is beyond the pale.

Simon Warner-Hodgkin, who was jailed for three years for stealing from Bradford charity Christians Against Poverty, can have no complaints about the severity of that sentence. In fact, some might say it should be much longer.

He not only left colleagues with an already difficult job to pick up the pieces of his fraudulent actions, he also stole directly from those least able to afford it.

His position as team leader giving specialist advice in the insolvency department meant he was able to plunder the £78,000 he stole directly from the accounts of vulnerable people facing bankruptcy.

Questions must also be raised about the fact that he was a convicted fraudster before he even took the job, and had lied about his qualifications.

Charities must be able to check thoroughly the background of those they employ, particularly when they are dealing with vulnerable clients and financial issues.

This sort of crime is a double whammy for charities, not only hitting them in the pocket, but also unavoidably affecting their perception by the public.

Hopefully, the strong sentence handed down to Warner-Hodgkin will act as a deterrent to others who may be tempted to siphon off money donated by hard-working folk to help those less well-off than themselves.

This sort of disgraceful crime has no place in a tolerant and caring society.