The deputy leader of Sutton Council has condemned a former Lib Dem colleague's conduct as "inexcusable, reprehensible and shameful" after he admitted defrauding a charity out of thousands of pounds.

Cllr Simon Wales said Alan Salter, who pleaded guilty to fraud by abuse of position on Monday, had cheated "some of the most vulnerable people in our community" by siphoning £8,225 from the bank account of Carshalton Association for the Eldery.

Salter, 66, of Butter Hill, Wallington, resigned as councillor for Carshalton Central in June after the fraud was reported to police by the meals-on-wheels charity.

Following his conviction this week, the council launched an internal audit investigation to establish if Salter - who is also a trustee at a council-run charity - had taken money from the authority's coffers.

In June, after Salter's arrest, the council said the fraud allegations were "so far as we know, to do with his personal financial affairs".

But in a new statement issued today, a spokesman said: "The council was not made aware of the full scope of the investigation at the time of his resignation and subsequent arrest, other than it being into Mr Salter’s ‘personal financial affairs’. This clearly is not the case given the charges to which he pleaded guilty.

"The council has undertaken an internal audit investigation and to date we have found that all funds that were allocated for specific purposes have been used to deliver the expected services.

"This does not negate the impact of Mr Salter's actions and we are contacting all of the organisations with whom we believe Mr Salter was associated to offer any support they may require."

Cllr Wales, deputy leader, added: "Mr Salter has pleaded guilty to charges of fraud by misrepresentation of a charity to which he was appointed in a personal capacity.

"We are extremely disappointed in his actions. Defrauding a charity that serves some of the most vulnerable people in our community of thousands of pounds is inexcusable, reprehensible and shameful."

Salter this week told the Sutton Guardian he was "deeply sorry" for his actions.

The ex-councillor, who runs accountancy firm AJ Salter Accountancy Services, signed a total of 26 cheques payable to his own name or to cash between July 21, 2015, and May 7 this year.

He forged the signature of two of the charity’s directors who had authority to sign off transactions.

Suspicions were raised by a senior officer at the charity during the preparation of its annual accounts in June.

After his arrest, he told police he had been living beyond his means and had siphoned money from the charity to pay his outstanding debts.

Salter pleaded guilty to one count of fraud by abuse of position at Croydon Magistrates’ Court.

He will be sentenced at Croydon Crown Court on a date yet to be set.

The charge carries a maximum jail term of 10 years.

Carshalton Association for the Elderly declined to comment this week.

Before his conviction Salter was also a trustee of Sutton Seniors’ Forum and the council-run Carshalton Coronation Commemoration Fund, although it is not clear if he still holds those positions.