A FORMER Poole Tourism boss has admitted charges of fraud and tax evasion.

Between November 20, 2009, and April 5, 2013, Patrick Baker, 61, defrauded employees at several firms of which he was director - Freedomdays, WAUK and Forum Media Marketing Ltd - which undertook marketing for tourist destinations.

Between those same dates he was also charging VAT to customers but using an invalid registration number, and failing to declare the money to HM Revenue and Customs in order to gain himself.

Baker entered guilty pleas to the two counts during a hearing at Bournemouth Crown Court on Friday.

A former employee, who wishes to remain anonymous, said she felt betrayed by Baker.

"I discovered what happened when I moved house and contacted HMRC, who said I hadn't paid any employment tax for three years," she said.

"It was devastating for me and the other staff when we found out what had happened.

"He was a good sales person. You could ask about seeing payslips but there was always some excuse.

"You don't expect someone you work for to do something like that, but I have learned my lesson.

"We just want justice to be done."

Baker was released on bail for a pre-sentence report to be prepared by the probation service, but was warned by Judge Jonathan Fuller: "A custodial sentence for this sort of offending is inevitable."

He was ordered to return to court for sentencing on December 23.

Baker, who lives in Winterborne Anderson, near Blandford, was head of Poole Tourism during the mid-1980s, during which time the industry was estimated to be worth £70 million a year to the town.

He was said to have overseen a boom in visitors and was part of the tourism advisory panel to the Association of District Councils.

In 1992 he was made redundant by the authority and went on to direct tourism marketing at Poole Pottery. His redundancy caused a minor outcry at the time with bosses at Rockley Park and Monkey World, among other leisure destinations, calling for him to be reinstated.