An animal rescue worker who fraudulently used £190,000 of public donations to pay for his own property has been spared jail.

Chris Tucker took the money which had been raised over five years for Bexhill and Hastings Wildlife Sanctuary and Rescue.

The 60-year-old claimed the money would help to secure his semi-detached house, where the charity is based, in a trust or community interest company.

He said the money would be safeguarded officially for good causes and not benefit him or anyone else personally.

However, in 2019 police received an allegation that Tucker had used the public-generated funds to buy out his ex-partner and take sole ownership of the property.

Tucker, of Chantry Avenue, Bexhill, was arrested and subsequently charged with fraud by false representation.

He denied the offence, but the Crown’s case that he acted dishonestly in order to acquire a valuable property in his sole name was proved.

He was found guilty by jury following a five-day trial which concluded at Lewes Crown Court on October 6.

Following the jury’s guilty verdict, Detective Constable Jake O’Reilly said: “In November 2019 Sussex Police were contacted following an allegation that Tucker had made promises to sign over his property to a trust which would oversee the future running of Bexhill and Hastings Wildlife Sanctuary and Rescue if enough money could be raised by supporters.

“When this amount was achieved, it was alleged that Tucker had then acted dishonestly and taken sole control of a large property where the rescue is based.

“A police investigation followed and evidence was recovered that Tucker had made this false representation to several witnesses, as well as on social media and in interviews with local radio. But his financial records and Land Registry papers confirmed the money raised had been used by him to take full ownership of the property in Bexhill.

“The result of this fraud was that Tucker had acquired a large mortgage-free house and the rescue – which is not a registered charity – was not safeguarded by an independent trust which would make collective decisions on its future.

“This was a long and complex fraud enquiry involving a vast amount of donations and donors who were not given a true account of what would happen to their money. I am pleased justice has been served.”

Tucker was sentenced on March 28 at Chichester Crown Court. He was given a 21-month sentence suspended for two years, a ten-week overnight curfew and ordered to complete ten days' rehabilitation activity.

He was also ordered to sign over half of his property at Chantry Avenue, Bexhill, to a local wildlife charity whenever he sells it, meaning the fraudulently gained money will eventually return to the animals it was fundraised for.