A former Labour Club steward has gone on trial accused of stealing £8,000 from the takings.

George Tillotson, secretary of East Ward club in Otley Road, Bradford, realised £7,000 was missing from the club's account a few weeks after steward Clifford Martin resigned from the post he had held for five years.

A jury at Bradford Crown Court heard yesterday that according to the club's records the cash should have been banked along with a further £4,500.

Prosecutor Jonathan Sandiford said Martin gave the club his notice in October 2001 and finished working for the club in December that year.

The £11,500 was the takings from his last week as steward. It was only when Mr Tillotson received a list of bank transactions at the beginning of January that he discovered the discrepancy.

Martin told a club meeting that £7,000 was stolen from his car at Five Lane Ends in Bradford.

Mr Tillotson said: "I asked him why he didn't inform the police with there being a police station opposite. He said he panicked and didn't know what to do. I said had he reported it to the police since and he said he hadn't.''

Mr Tillotson said he then took Martin into the club office to report the matter to the police. After the meeting, checks were carried out and another £1,000 discrepancy was found in the takings banked in November 2001.

Martin, 60, of Ghyllroyd Avenue, Buttershaw, pleaded not guilty to two charges of theft.

He told officers the missing £1,000 was the result of him paying too little into the bank by mistake.

The trial was expected to end today.