THE former boss of an Ipswich hospital is today behind bars, serving a two-year sentence after stealing more than �40,000 from his previous employers.

Mark Gorton appeared at Taunton Crown Court on Thursday after admitting three counts of theft by an employee at an earlier hearing.

A spokesman for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) told the EADT as part of Gorton’s duties as managing director at Southwest Healthcare Ltd he had access to a company bank account, credit card and debit card.

The spokesman said the 37-year-old, of Coprolite Street, Ipswich, had admitted transferring funds from the business account into his personal bank accounts as well as using the company credit cards on a number of occasions.

It is understood Gorton may have to sell his house to pay compensation under the Proceeds of Crime Act, but the CPS spokesman could not confirm whether that action had yet been taken.

Gorton, who was director of Nuffield Health Ipswich Hospital in Foxhall Road, resigned after pleading guilty last month.

A spokesman for Avon and Somerset Constabulary told the EADT, the 37-year-old of Coprolite Street admitted stealing �40,820 from Southwest Healthcare Partnership – where he is understood to have been managing director before taking up the Nuffield post.

The first charge relates to �27,477 stolen between November 23, 2010, and May 11, 2011. The second relates to an amount totalling �13,165, stolen between November 22, 2010, and January 26 this year. The third offence relates to �178 stolen on November 29, 2011.

A spokesman for Nuffield Health said: “Mark Gorton no longer works for Nuffield Health. He left when the nature of this issue from his previous employment was clarified.”

He said the hospital are recruiting for a permanent replacement to take over from the interim chief.