A postman who stole credit and debit cards from letters and cash from children's birthday cards has been jailed for four months.

Anthony Barrett, 27, of Northfield Close, Littlemore, said that he had been threatened by a man to whom he owed £650 into stealing the credit cards. Each card would see £50 wiped off the debt.

But Oxford Crown Court heard Barrett stole more than was necessary to pay off the loan and admitted using some of the credit cards himself. A total of £1,522 was spent on them. Barrett admitted six charges of theft and three of obtaining property by deception. He asked for a further 27 offences to be taken into consideration, and three charges were ordered to lie on file. Sentencing him, Judge Tom Corrie said: "Postmen who infringe in the line of duty have always known that custodial sentences are more or less inevitable."

Neerja Sharma, prosecuting, said Barrett had been a postman for four months and committed the offences between April 2 and July 27 last year.

After complaints from members of the public about undelivered mail and erratic delivery, the defendant was watched at Oxford Delivery Centre on July 27.

It was then discovered that the father-of-two was not delivering his mail. Instead, a friend was carrying out his duties.

On August 1, a search of Barrett's home was carried out. There was no mail in the property, but opened post was recovered from his car, including children's birthday cards. Anthony McGeorge, defending, said Barrett was approached three times by the man to whom he owed cash, and told to steal cards.

During the first incident, he was attacked on his doorstep by the un-named man and his friend and during the second, threats were made about his girlfriend and children. Despite this, Barrett refused to co-operate but when the man and two others turned up and held a knife to his throat, he agreed to steal the cards.

Mr McGeorge added that at the time of the offences, his client was vulnerable, as his mother and brother had died.