Louise Dunham was sentenced at Chichester Crown Court on Monday after pleading guilty to one count of theft and five counts of fraud.

She admitted stealing cheques from her ex-partner, Simon Wicks, while she was living with him, and cashing them in at Arun banks by forging his signature, to the tune of £65,000, in 2006 and 2007. She also pleaded guilty to stealing cash from him.

Emma Green, who lives in Woking, is now in a relationship with Mr Wicks, and said the experience had been hard for him.

"He invited her to live with him in his house in Rustington because she was going through a bad time, and he wanted to help.

"She was held in a position of responsibility and trust, and it concerns me that someone in that position can do something like this. It is not an appropriate way for an apparently upstanding member of the community to behave."

Dunham previously worked at an Arundel fruiterers and florists, run by her husband, Arundel fire station commander Mark Dunham, from whom she is separated.

News of her conviction spread fast. A fellow retailer, who asked not to be named, said: "Rumours have been rife, and I think it's fair to say that she wasn't well liked in the town. I am surprised she has been sent to prison, we thought she was going to get away with it, but hopefully it will do her some good.

"The family who run the fruit shop are decent, lovely, hard-working people, and do not deserve the shame this will bring."

Emma added that the jail term was not enough to make up for the suffering of Mr Wicks.

"While it happened over a year ago, it has taken this long to achieve a successful result.

"I work in the legal profession, and so was expecting a sentence along those lines, but Simon feels it does not take into account the human cost and suffering that such a crime creates. He has received the money back from the banks involved, of course, but that is not the point."

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