A BUILDING society employee is due to appear in court in connection with an alleged fraud totalling nearly �100,000.

Colin Adwent

A BUILDING society employee is due to appear in court in connection with an alleged fraud totalling nearly �100,000.

Andrew Timms, of Friars Way, Great Whelnetham, near Bury St Edmunds, was working as customer services manager at the Nationwide Building Society's Market Place branch in Stowmarket at the time of his arrest.

Following an investigation by Suffolk police, the 28-year-old now stands accused of fraud by abuse of position under the Fraud Act of 2006.

The accusation relates to an eight-month period last year.

Suffolk Constabulary has confirmed Timms was charged by officers on February 8.

A spokeswoman for the force said the wording of the charge that Timms is facing reads: “Between April 1, 2009 and December 1, 2009, at Stowmarket, committed fraud in that while occupying a position, namely customer services manager, in which you were expected to safeguard or not to act against the financial interests of Nationwide Building Society, you dishonestly abused that position, intending thereby to make gain, namely �96,198.17, for yourself contrary to Sections 1 and 4 of the Fraud Act.”

It is believed Timms was arrested on November 30.

Timms is currently on bail until the first hearing of his case.

He is scheduled to appear before Bury St Edmunds Magistrates' Court tomorrow.

The hearing is listed for sometime between 10am and 1pm.

When contacted about the case, Lynsey Hallam, external communications manager for Nationwide Building Society, said: “We would not comment in relation to your enquiry as this is a matter for the court.”