A FINANCE consultant who mistakenly claimed nearly £45,000 in expenses has been cleared of fraud after a second jury failed to reach a verdict on the allegations.

Brian Chapman, 55, a management consultant at KPMG, was sacked from his £104,000-a-year job after bosses found the mistake in 2012. He had double-claimed and triple-claimed for flights, hotels and mobile phone bills over a five-year period.

Mr Chapman, who lives in Cumbernauld but worked in London at the time, admitted to police in December 2012 that he had made false claims.

But he said it was an honest mistake and offered to repay the funds, saying "Admin is not my strong suit."

Chapman was cleared of fraud after an Old Bailey jury failed to reach a verdict in his retrial. The prosecution said a third trial would not be "in the public interest" ..

Judge Rebecca Poulet said: "Mr Chapman made a mistake and has agreed to pay all of the money back."

Chapman, of Binniehill Road, Cumbernauld, was cleared of fraud totalling £44,983 between 2007 and 2012.