A THIEVING postman was caught by a Royal Mail sting after taking cash from packages he stole on his round.

John Knight took money from hundreds of packages before resealing them and reposting them in pillar boxes near his home.

When he was caught Knight, 34, admitted he had stolen up to 500 packages and pocketed between £400 and £500.

But magistrates in Manchester spared him jail after hearing that he had debts of £25,000.

Knight, of Jonquil Drive, Worsley pleaded guilty to five counts of theft and attempted theft from the Royal Mail last September.

He was given a six-month prison sentence suspended for two years with 250 hours unpaid work.

Prosecutor Elizabeth Rigby said a probe was launched after packages collected from two boxes in Little Hulton appeared to have been tampered with. Investigators found that the items had been posted in the Stretford area worked by Knight.

They put specially-prepared packages in a pillar box at Stretford mall as bait – and five were later found to have been opened and resealed. Knight was kept under surveillance and seemed to sift out greetings card-type packets and place them to one side.

During a search of his clothing investigators found a sack wrapped in a jacket containing 88 packets including the special ones and most had been opened.

At his home 22 more packages were discovered in a wheelie bin, the court heard.

Michael James, defending, said there was no sophistication in what Knight had done and he was bound to get caught.

He said: “He is not a clever criminal but was desperate for money and didn’t think of the consequences.”

Knight said he had been struggling for cash because he only worked part-time and had a partner and three children to support.

Knight told the court he was sorry and totally ashamed of himself.

He said: “I was struggling for money to buy nappies for the baby and put food on the table.”

The magistrates told him: “Such offences cause considerable dismay to the public who place their trust in postmen.

“But we believe you are genuinely remorseful and seem to understand the impact you have had on the public – and your family.”