Comic Mark Rough today told how his jokes helped him through a month behind bars on fraud charges.

And he says he has returned to Saltaire determined to put his comedy career back on track.

Rough, 37, spent four weeks in Durham prison on remand until he appeared before magistrates in his home town of Sunderland.

He was prosecuted after he sold £2,000 of tickets for a comedy club he ran at Roker, Sunderland, billed as featuring top comics Bob Monkhouse and Lee Hurst, although the stars had never been booked for the venue.

Rough, 37, initially went missing with the cash - but later turned himself in to police.

He admitted four fraud charges when he appeared at Sunderland Magistrates Court. He was sentenced to serve three years on probation and pay £2,000 compensation.

"Some people feel I've 'got away with it' but I don't agree," he said.

"I've served the equivalent of a two-month prison sentence.

"I handed myself in to police, and they remanded me because of my lifestyle - as a comic I'm in a different town every night."

He added: "Durham prison was a shock to the system. It's a bit like being bullied at school - if you make people laugh, you can get through it."

During his time behind bars he had a lot of time to think - and generate new material for his show.

"You have a lot of time to yourself, and time to reflect. There are a lot of comic situations in prison so I may put some of that into my act."

Of his offences, he said: "It started out as an attempt to raise the profile of my Fnrr Fnrr comedy clubs.

"I was 'sold' the Lee Hurst and Bob Monkhouse gigs by a Manchester booker, the gigs sold out very quickly before it became obvious that they were never booked. To buy time and to try to rescue the situation I presented forged contracts to the club owners.

"Thankfully, the magistrates took on board the fact that I'd run the clubs very successfully, and that I'd ruined my professional reputation."

He says he deeply regrets the offences and now accepts that he is better at telling jokes than he is at financial matters.

"I certainly won't be promoting any gigs any more, but I am free to perform anywhere, and quite a few bookings are coming in," he said.

"I brought some great comedy to Bradford and often for free or at really low admission charges. I have some great friends and supporters here and I will be performing in Bradford very soon - it will be before Christmas."