An official who was slaughtering thousands of animals during last year's foot-and-mouth crisis fiddled his expenses and spent the extra cash on alcohol.

Matthew Thomlinson, 29, of Landkey, Barnstaple, Devon, was part of team killing up to 4,000 sheep a day, Honiton magistrates were told on Wednesday.

Thomlinson, who was working for the then Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, found the work distressing.

He was drinking excessively and the extra cash paid for his drinking, defence solicitor William Tate said.

"They were under substantial pressure to meet targets. He found it difficult to dwell on the work he had done, and on what lay ahead."

Thomlinson admitted five charges of dishonestly obtaining money transfers, one of using a false instrument, and one of attempting to dishonestly obtain a money transfer.

Martin Edmunds, prosecuting, said in all Thomlinson over-claimed a total of �1,008.

Thomlinson was given an 80-hour community punishment order and told to pay �100 towards costs.