A WEDDING photographer who raided more than £11,000 from his Downs Syndrome brother's building society account is facing jail.

Andrew Gary Woodhouse, 40, was co-signatory on the account, held in trust for his brother Jason Woodhouse.

Eileen Cullen, a family friend, was the other signatory.

Woodhouse, who runs I-do photos from his Cumberland Avenue home, in Burnley, committed fraud over six years by forging Ms Cullen's signature and the dishonesty was only brought to an end when a cashier at the Marsden Building Society got suspicious.

The prosecutor at Burnley Magistrates' Court said it was a 'gross breach of trust'.

Woodhouse admitted fraud by false representation.

He owned up to committing fraud in Burnley, in that he dishonestly made a false representation, by falsifying the signature of Eileen Cullen, intending to gain £11,160 for himself, between February 1, 2007 and January 31, 2013.

The defendant, who has no previous convictions, wiped away tears as prosecutor Parveen Akhtar told the court: "This was a gross breach of trust over a long period."

Miss Akhtar said in January 2013, Eileen Cullen received a letter from the Marsden Building Society, alerting her to the fact the defendant had been withdrawing money and checks had revealed the signature didn't match the one they had a record of for her.

David Leach, for Woodhouse, said he had pleaded guilty and 'done the best he could do in a bad situation.'

The defendant had made full and frank admissions and had not prevaricated.

The solicitor continued: "Ultimately, when he is sentenced by the crown court judge, the whole of his mitigation will come out."

Woodhouse was committed to Burnley Crown Court to be sentenced on July 14. He was bailed on condition he does not have any unsupervised contact with Jason Woodhouse and does not interfere with or communicate with Eileen Cullen.