A teenager got a job as a postman - despite previous convictions for dishonesty, a court was told.

Philip Maloney, 19, dumped more than 300 letters outside a Bradford school just six weeks after conning bosses at the Royal Mail into believing he had no criminal record.

While working for Bradford North Delivery Office, he hid the mail in bushes and in a wheelie bin near Moorfield Lane First School because he didn't want to be late for an appointment with a housing officer.

Prosecutor Michael O'Garra told Bradford magistrates how all the missing letters were recovered over a four-day period last June.

He said it was also found that Maloney had previous convictions "which he had not submitted on his application form for employment''.

Maloney said he hid the mail in bushes and in a wheelie-bin outside the school because he was due to see the council housing officer and did not want to be late. He added: "It's the first time I have done it. I admit doing it.''

Maloney, of Wycombe Green, Holme Wood, Bradford, pleaded guilty to obtaining pecuniary advantage by deception and admitted three charges of wilfully delaying postal packets.

He was ordered to pay £302 compensation to the Royal Mail and do 100 hours' community service. He was also put on probation for a year.

For Maloney, his solicitor said it was an offence of incompetence rather than financial gain.

He told the court he took the view that Maloney -- who lost his job -- was a somewhat immature young man who was given a position of trust.

A Royal Mail spokesman said: "This is a very rare occurrence. It happens very infrequently because we have procedures in place to vet employees.

"We also do spot checks on people, monitor our staff and make every effort to keep this sort of incident to a minimum.

"We regret it when it does happen and apologise to anybody who has had mail lost in this way."