An accounts assistant from Harlesden stole more than £33,000 from his employers to fuel his gambling addiction, a court heard today.

Gilmour De Guzman, 25, of Odessa Road, swiped zip lock cash bags as they were being handed over to security guards at the Doubletree Hilton Hotel, it is claimed.

Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard De Guzman started working at hotel in Westminster as a waiter in 2011 but was promoted to accounts assistant in early 2014.

He was responsible for counting and counter-signing the hotel’s takings and handing over cash to G4S security staff, as well as recording the serial numbers on each cash bag.

De Guzman had been working alone between May and June 2015 while his boss was on leave, but left on June 11 and never returned to work.

Caroline Mungal, prosecuting, said: “The total amount of money stolen was just over £33,000.”

De Guzman did not indicate which way he would plead to one count of theft by employee totalling £33,033.12.

Sending the case for a preliminary hearing at Southwark Crown Court on August 7, Chairwoman of the bench Jane Khaldi warned him to attend on that date or risk being fined or sent to prison.

De Guzman was granted bail on the condition he does not enter the hotel in John Islip Street.

He was also barred from contacting any of the Hilton Group’s employees, forced to hand over his passport and barred from applying for any travel documents outside the UK.

He spoke only to confirm his name and address.