A COUPLE have admitted cashing in more than £10,000 of stolen Post Office savings stamps.

Michelle Lawrence, 20, and Daniel Thomas, 25, both of Spinney Close, Liddington, cashed in hundreds of the savings stamps, worth £5 each.

They were stolen from the Swindon Secure Stock Centre which supplies the country's Post Offices.

Swindon Magistrates' Court heard that Thomas agreed to trade in the stolen stamps, which he got from a man he met in the pub. He also gave some of the stamps to his girlfriend so that she could reduce her debts.

Tim Dixon, prosecuting for the Post Office, said: "An investigation was launched after it was noticed the number of stamps being cashed in the Swindon area was unusually high. In interview Thomas admitted receiving stamps from a man named Hank and in return he received a cut.

"Lawrence admitted being given quite few stamps by her boyfriend.

She said that her sister works for Royal Mail and warned her against what she was doing, saying some had gone missing from the centre."

Mr Dixon explained that the pair were charged under the Criminal Attempts Act because of the difficulty in proving every single stamp had been stolen.

They admitted one charge each of attempting to dishonestly dispose of stolen goods. Thomas admitted handling the full £10,000-worth and Lawrence admitted handling £3,995.

He described them as the bottom rung of a criminal conspiracy to steal the stamps and said that an investigation to find out how they were being stolen was under way.

Stamps can be cashed in for vouchers to use in high street shops or to pay bills, but identification must be shown at Post Office counters to use them.

The investigation showed that Thomas had redeemed £6,190 and Lawrence £3,995.

Although they admitted handling more than £10,000 of stolen stamps between them, they benefited by less than £1,000. Lawrence paid £400 of bills and Thomas spent the £500 made through his part in the operation.

Mike Pulsford, defending, explained that Thomas had been caught up in the scam while living at an Old Town pub.

"My clients are very much the end of the line," he said.

"Michelle Lawrence had debts, such that she is now bankrupt. When Daniel Thomas was approached by the man he could see money for himself and money for his girlfriend.

"Mr Thomas was more involved. He decided to do it and he got his girlfriend involved."

Magistrates ordered a full report be prepared by the probation service before sentencing on September 20.