By Martin Robinson PUBLISHED: 07:38 EST, 9 July 2012 | UPDATED: 03:17 EST, 10 July 2012 Jailed: Youth offending team boss Peter Nicholson, pictured, led a gang of fraudsters who claimed wages for bogus employees at Newham Borough Council in east London A youth offending team boss honoured by the Queen with an OBE has been jailed for five and a half years after stealing almost £300,000 from one of Britain’s poorest councils to fund his lavish family holidays. Peter Nicholson OBE, 58, fronted a gang of fraudsters who created ‘ghost’ employees at Newham Borough Council in east London and pocketed the wages.
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Peter Nicholson, who was handed an OBE by the Queen, was jailed for five and a half years
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He and a gang claimed wages for ‘ghost’ employees at Newham Borough Council in east London
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These staff never existed and cash was funneled off to pay for holidays
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Nicholson's job was to turn around youngsters with criminal records
The court heard @placeholder authorised three ‘ghost’ employees to be paid by the local authority when they did not exist, in order to syphon off the cash.