Pc Jonathan Denyer-Stenson, 35, doctored his pay slips to make it look as if he was earning far less than he actually was.

When the Child Support Agency (CSA) reduced the amount he had to pay for his six-year-old daughter Jessica by £24.38 a week, his ex-wife appealed. Denyer-Stenson then cut, pasted and photocopied more fake wage slips, but his dishonesty was discovered after an investigation was launched.

At Leeds Crown Court he was handed a 12-month suspended prison sentence yesterday and told that his actions had cost him everything.

The court was told Denyer-Stenson had lost his job with West Yorkshire Police, his pension rights and any future prospects – all for "a very modest" gain.

He is now living on a mixture of benefits and student loans.

Judge Alistair McCallum told him: "I have personal knowledge of how difficult it is to get into the police force and as a result officers are put in that elevated status where everybody trusts them.

"By carrying out this petty series of offences you have lost your job and the respect of your colleagues and, when you are put on that particular pedestal, when you fall it's a lot harder."

Denyer-Stenson, a well-respected officer based in Bradford North, decided to cheat the CSA in March 2006 after he was ordered to pay £102 per week in maintenance.

He printed and cut out numbers, before pasting them on to two wage slips and photocopying the documents to make it look as though he was earning just £1,567 – when in reality his pay stood at £2,791.

As a result the CSA cut his payments by £24.38 a week. When his ex-wife, also a police officer, appealed the agency wrote to Denyer-Stenson asking him to provide more information.

Ian Goldsack, prosecuting, said: "The CSA reviewed the figures and noticed discrepancies between the altered monthly figures, which had not been altered." Another appeal led to a request for Denyer-Stenson's end-of-year wages summary.

Mr Goldsack added: "The defendant faxed through a copy which had been altered. The department checked against its computer records and contacted the force's professional standards department – who arrested him. He was then seen to go to a desk drawer and place folders in it. There were a number of folders and sheets. Also in there were copies of the original wage slips and P60 with numbers cut out and pasted on."

Denyer-Stenson is said to have said: "It's just desperation what I have done...I have gained nothing". At a previous hearing Denyer-Stenson, of Huddersfield, admitted three charges of furnishing false information, between March and July 2006.

The court was told the former officer's marriage ended acrimoniously and that he had been denied access to his daughter.

Alan Taylor, mitigating, said his client had lost everything and pointed out that the case was a private matter and had not affected his police work.

Judge McCallum gave Denyer-Stenson a 12-month jail sentence, suspended for 18 months, and ordered him to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work