A treasurer who embezzled more than £212,000 from a Suffolk charity which gives advice and information to disabled people has been warned he is facing a lengthy jail term.

Neil Payne, who was treasurer of Lowestoft and Waveney DIAL, pleaded guilty to fraud by abuse of position between October 2010 and January this year at a plea and trial preparation hearing at Ipswich Crown Court today (Wednesday).

The total amount involved is £212,639.53.

Adjourning sentence until July 6 for a pre-sentence report, Judge Rupert Overbury remanded 51-year-old Payne in custody and told him: 'A lengthy prison sentence is inevitable. The length will depend on arguments I hear on July 6.'

Peter Spary for Payne, of Westhole Road, Lowestoft, said his client, who has no previous convictions, was under no illusions about his fate and had saved a lot of time and expense by admitting his guilt and not quibbling about the amount involved.