A MAN who was once Britain's youngest pub landlord has admitted stealing cash from work.

Marc Purcell, 21, of Rochester House, High Street, Corsham, took the £150 float from The Services Cotswold Centre in Neston just days after starting work there last summer.

He admitted a charge of theft at Swindon Crown Court on Friday where he was sentenced to a one-year conditional discharge and told to pay the money back.

Jenny Tallentire, prosecuting, said Purcell was given the job of bar steward at The Tavern Bar in the centre run by contractors for the Ministry of Defence in August.

About a week later a check was carried out and a number of items were found to be missing, including the £150 cash used for the till's float.

"He was asked where the money was and he replied that he had taken it home to get some change by mistake," Miss Tallentire said.

"He was then sent home with a driver to get the money and he returned and handed over five envelopes but still the float was missing. The next day the police were informed."

After he was charged with theft, Purcell wrote a letter to his boss offering to repay the missing cash maintaining he didn't know what had happened to it.

He told police he had been stupid to take the money home with him but insisted he had no idea what had happened to the missing cash.

Further charges of the theft of £156.71 between August 17 and August 23, and £46.66 between August 21 and August 24, were dropped.

Ian Halliday, defending, said his client was working varied hours in his father's pub taking home about £170 a week.

Purcell and his father Mark took over the Duke of Cumberland pub in Priory Street, Corsham, in April 2002, which they renamed Percy's.

He also spent half an afternoon a week coaching young football players at his former school.

"At the age of 18 he was the youngest licensee, he tells me, in the country for a time," Mr Halliday said.

"His hopes for the future are to move out of bar work to be a call centre supervisor."

Judge John McNaught said: "You have thrown away your good character and that is a punishment for a young man who had a good character and a good career ahead of you.

"I don't think there is any need to send you to prison or for the intervention of probation."

Purcell was also ordered to pay £350 costs.