A Shropshire couple have been ordered to hand over thousands of pounds after being involved in a series of corrupt payments to secure more than £1 million of training contracts.

Paul and Sarah Kent, of Telford, were told to pay the money at a hearing at Birmingham Crown Court yesterday. The court heard that Paul Kent was at the hub of the corruption and was serving a prison sentence.

Paul Kent is serving four-and-a-half years, imposed in June last year, and must hand over £3,240 or face an additional period in jail.

Sarah Kent, 37, formerly Sarah Emberton, lived a lavish lifestyle which included a £40,000 wedding ring, after her husband received a total of £270,000 in “backhanders”. He received the money by dishing out lucrative national skills and training contracts.

At crown court yesterday, Judge Orme told her she must pay £4,800 under a confiscation order within six months.

Mr Andrew Oakland, prosecuting, said that Sarah Kent’s criminal benefit was almost £85,000, but she was in the same position as her husband, with just a share of the sale of the watches and her registration plate, SAK 800, which was sold for £1,500.

He said the £27,000 Audi TT convertible had been sold earlier, but Sarah Kent had been using the proceeds on living expenses.

The couple’s former £300,000 home in Woodspring Grove, Muxton, Telford, was subject to a mortgage but while the £1,200-a-month mortgage was being met, the house was being rented for just £850-a-month.

The couple were among five defendants, linked to the corruption at the Shropshire branch of the Learning & Skills Council, facing confiscation hearings at the court yesterday.

John Stuart Ford, 58, formerly of Shrewsbury, Rebecca Hoyle, 46, of Stroud, Gloucestershire, and Silinder Singh Sidhu were also facing confiscation claims.

The court heard that Ford’s criminal benefit was said to be £90,000 and that monies were available from the sale of his Shrewsbury home.

He faces 18 months in prison if the monies are not paid within six months.

Mr Oakland said that despite the high value of the contracts obtained by Ford, Sidhu and Hoyle, it would be unfair, in view of the Kents’ position, to have sought confiscation on the full amount of the contracts, but the prosecution had settled on the monies available to the defendants during the period of the contracts.

Hoyle was said to have benefited by £14,500 and has six months to pay the confiscation order or face six months in jail.

Sidhu, 46, from Walsall, paid Kent about £80,000 in “bungs” to secure contracts worth almost £270,000, and is serving a three-year prison sentence. His criminal benefit was said to be £98,000 and he has six months to pay £31,500 or faces a further six months in prison.

By Arthur Mills