CAR mechanic Dennis Clark has been jailed for 10 months after spending almost £40,000 deposited in his bank account by mistake.

Bankers at Citibank International Plc accidentally credited the five-figure sum into the Trowbridge mechanic's bank account, but when they realised their mistake the money had all gone.

Clark, of Church Lane, North Bradley, cashed in on the error, emptying his account through a series of cashpoint withdrawals and online transfers.

All the cash was used to pay off a mountain of expenses and debts.

When bankers demanded the money back Clark could only repay £1,000 and was forced to file for bankruptcy.

Citibank complained to the Official Receiver's office in Bristol, which were dealing with Clark's bankruptcy proceedings, when the sum of £39,329 could not be repaid.

The Official Receiver then alerted the legal services and prosecutions branch at the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), who launched an investigation.

Prosecutors from the DTI began criminal proceedings and formally charged the mechanic with 17 counts of theft.

Clark, 52, was found guilty of all charges following a trial held at Devizes Magistrates' Court in December.

Magistrates told Clark he knew the money was not his but still decided to spend it all on clearing his own debts.

Chippenham magistrates jailed him for 10 months at a hearing on January 6.

A sentence of five months was imposed for each of the 17 offences, with one of the sentences to run consecutively.

Nobody was available for comment at Clark's home when the Wiltshire Times called on Wednesday.

Banks and building societies advise customers who notice unexpected withdrawals and deposits in their account to alert staff immediately.