A Gloucestershire businessman has spoken about the impact of a £600,000 fraud.

In a statement to Punchline-Gloucester.com, Dave Brennan, director of Building Solutions, said: "We are all pleased and relieved to finally see justice being done, although this won't bring back the company that many people worked so hard to create since 1968."

Andrew Maxted, 57, of Standish Gate, near Stonehouse, took £596,497.29 from the building company where he worked as an accountant to buy luxury cars and holidays, as reported by the BBC.

His crimes were only uncovered after forensic accountants were called in when the Cheltenham-based company, which employed 30 people, went into voluntary liquidation in 2017.

Dave Brennan continued: "Maxted's imprisonment won't compensate the exceptional Building Solutions team, our customers or our suppliers, for the impact this crime has had on them. But it will hopefully send a warning to other would-be fraudsters.

"This individual wanted to live a lavish lifestyle without having to work for it and he stole and spent a huge amount of money without giving a thought to the physical, mental and financial damage he would do to other people, as long as he got what he wanted.

"We now know that he served a three-year prison sentence for a near-identical crime whilst still in his 20s, but he obviously hasn't learnt his lesson.

"I'm very grateful to Smart Insolvency and the police who put in a tremendous amount of time in piecing together the evidence for this case. I'd also like to thank the many people that have supported us through the difficult six and a half years since we lost our company."

Maxted worked for the company for six years and the offences began soon after he started work there in October 2011.

He was jailed for five years and eight months at a hearing at Gloucester Crown Court last week.