A man has been sentenced to four months in prison for attempting to hide property and avoid paying creditors after going bankrupt.

Sarper Djevdet Ahmet, from Clacton-on-Sea, appeared at Colchester Magistrates' Court on September 18.

The court heard Ahmet had been ordered bankrupt in August 2015 but had been experiencing debt long before this date.

MORE: Suffolk pub shuts down months after reopeningIn January 2014, Ahmet instructed solicitors to transfer his share in a Clacton-on-Sea property, worth around £40,000, to his ex-partner.

The transfer was made at a time when Ahmet would have been aware of the financial difficulties he was facing.

When the transfer was complete her spoke to a finance company to discuss a debt management plan but failed to disclose the transfer.

The 57-year-old was ordered bankrupt by the court in August 2015 and following further enquiries by the Official Receiver the asset and its disposal was discovered.

Ahmet later admitted he was concerned his ex-partner would be forced to sell the house.

"Experiencing bankruptcy is a difficult situation for anyone going through it", Arwel Jones, legal services director for the Insolvency Service.

"But this does not excuse Sarper Ahmet's behaviour when he tried to hide his interest in a property so that he could avoid paying his creditors what they were owed.

"The fact that he received a custodial term demonstrates the severity of his crime and we hope this serves as a clear warning to other people that there are serious consequences for those who try to hide their assets from the Official Receiver."