THE alleged theft of nearly £2,000 from a bookmakers by the deputy manager was as "clever as it was simple" a court heard.

Nottingham Crown Court has heard Benjamin Wager, 22, altered betting slips after races and pocketed the cash.

In his closing statements yesterday Jonathan Straw, prosecuting, said: "It was as clever as it was simple.

"Don't forget people who do fiddles like this don't expect to get caught."

Customers fill out a slip which is copied by a computer, but staff still have to interpret the information before any winnings can be claimed.

It is alleged Wager deliberately created ambiguous and illegible slips which were then changed to match a race result. It is claimed he then kept the winnings.

Mr Straw added: "It is important to remember this wasn't some 14-year-old boy working at a garage who was liable to the odd mistake. This is someone who was a full time deputy manager in a bookmakers and had done the training."

Justin Wigoder, defending, said it was subjective as to whether some of the betting slips given in evidence were fraudulent.

He added it would have been fairer to Wager if original slips, rather then photocopies, were used as evidence.

Wager, of Mayor Road, Sherwood, worked at Coral for 18 months before the alleged thefts between June and July 2007.

Wager, who worked at the Mansfield Road shop and covered for staff at the Alfreton Road branch, denies eight counts of theft.

tanya.holden@nottinghameveningpost.co.uk