The boss of a Bradford used car business cheated his firm out of more than £10,000 by cashing in unexpired tax discs and pocketing the money himself, a Court heard.

Ali Keyhani abused his position as site manager at Autoquake.com by claiming refunds on 151 discs in a 15-month fraud.

Keyhani, who earned £38,000 a year, plus up to £900 a month in commission, was shopped by a whistleblower.

An anonymous letter pointed the finger at Keyhani and one other person, who was not involved.

Keyhani, 45, pleaded guilty to fraud by abuse of position, between September 2007 and December 2008.

Prosecutor Bronia Hartley told Bradford Crown Court yesterday that Autoquake sold more than 600 used vehicles a month from its site in Tong.

It was an internet trading company dealing in mainly former fleet vehicles. Keyhani, who had worked there for 18 months when he was caught, applied for £10,007 worth of tax disc refunds.

The DVLA sent him 151 cheques and he was able to steal £7,770 from 121 of them. Although the rest were not cashed, it was too late for the firm to claim refunds for them.

Miss Hartley said that Keyhani, of Teal Drive, Morley, resigned after the police became involved. He told officers he intended to repay the money and the court heard Keyhani, who had never been in trouble before, had saved £2,000 to give to Autoquake.

His barrister, Andrew Haslam, said Keyhani had borrowed money from his family to pay the firm back.

Miss Hartley said a confiscation hearing would take place under the Proceeds of Crime Act on May 24.

Judge John Potter sentenced Keyhani to a 12-month community order with 200 hours unpaid work.

The judge said his good character and guilty plea had helped to save him from going to jail.