A priest stole nearly £100,000 from church funds to feed his online gambling habit.

Father Graeme Bell, 41, was jailed for ten months on Tuesday for stealing cash from Our Lady Star of the Sea Church, known locally as St Mary's, in Saltcoats, North Ayrshire, where he was parish priest.

He embezzled the money between March and May 2015 and used the cash to play online roulette while "paralysed" by his gambling addiction, Kilmarnock Sheriff Court heard.

Last month, Father Bell pleaded guilty to embezzling £96,000 from the parish and sentence was deferred.

When he returned to the dock on Tuesday, sheriff Alistair Watson jailed him for ten months.

He said: "This is a very significant breach of trust and a substantial amount of funds.

"All the difficulties you have did not remove your free will as an intelligent being you deliberately undertook the actions you undertook.

"The money of the church would've been allocated to charity and good causes. I accept your very genuine expressions of shame, remorse and genuine attempt to out matters right as best you can.

"I can take an exceptionally low starting point for the sentence but I feel I would be failing in my duty if I did not impose custody."

The sheriff also urged Father Bell, who the court heard regularly attends Gambler's Anonymous, to continue to seek help for his gambling when he is released from custody.

Father Bell did not turn to look at a large group of friends and family, including his brother, who had come to court to show their support as he was led away to begin his sentence.

Defence solicitor Gerard Brown said his client "is and was a good man" who has "in a vocation, given his life to God, to the church and to his Parishioners."

He added: "And, indeed, from some of the letters of support, to society in general and individuals in general, no matter their denomination or background."

Mr Brown added the shamed priest was also a "responsible, kind and caring" individual whose "anxiety and depression reached a stage where he was not behaving as a law-abiding individual".

The lawyer said £97,500 was available to the church due to a combination of a £30,000 payout from a fidelity insurance policy, £42,500 in donations from Father Bell's friends and family and £25,000 he returned himself.