A tax advisor who stole almost £250,000 from clients has been ordered to pay back more than £53,000.

Tim Bash, 58, took the money over seven years from more than 25 clients while working as a tax manager at Lovewell Blake in Norwich.

Norwich Crown Court heard Bash, of Dereham Road, Mattishall, used the money to feed his gambling addiction and was spending £1,000 a day at the height of his addiction.

Bash was sentenced to three years in prison in July 2019 after admitting two counts of fraud.

However attempts by prosecutors to get some money back under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) were hit by a series of delays.

A POCA hearing at the crown court concluded last month with Bash being ordered to pay back £53,046.68, deemed to be his available assets, within three months or serve one year in prison in default.