TWO Powys NHS bosses are facing jail for a £700,000 fraud on the health service using the names of the stars of rock band U2.

The pair paid bogus invoices for building work by Paul Hewson - the real name of singer Bono - and to David Evans, guitarist The Edge from the Irish rock band.

Mark Evill and Robert Howells used the U2 names as cover to abuse their managerial positions with Powys Teaching Health Board to line their pockets with over £707,947.24 of health cash.

Both entered guilty pleas days on the second day of their trial that got underway at Merthyr Crown Court this week.

Ringleader Evill, 47, splashed out his stolen NHS cash on Dubai holidays, property, watches and cars.

Evill set up a company called George Morgan Limited named after his dog to pay the fake invoices from Powys Teaching Health Board where he was project manager.

Prosecutor Christopher Rees said he signed off payments to company staff in the "fictitious name of Paul Hewson a.k.a Bono of U2".

Mr Rees said: "This was the vehicle used by Evill for the fraud. It was a company set up for that purpose."

A jury were also told of a fraudulent quote for building work at Brecon’s War Memorial Hospital signed by David Evans.

Mr Rees said: "This is the alias of the U2 guitarist known as The Edge.

"It is a mark of the blatant, brazen and provocative dishonesty of Mark Evill that he chose to use the names of members of U2 to further this fraud."

Evill, of Shirenewton, Chepstow, is used letter heads of bonafide firms to provide the health board with fake quotes.

Co-defendant and fellow project manager Robert Howells, 65, also pleaded guilty to fraud after he was accused of endorsing the George Morgan Ltd bids for work despite knowing Evill was secretly its sole director.

Mr Rees said: "Howells played a vital role in facilitating the fraud and he allowed himself to be bribed to allow Evill to continue his actions."

Evill even bought Howells a Ford Focus worth more than £10,000 for his part in the fraud.

Mr Rees added: "The car was clearly part of Howell’s payment for Evill’s fraudulent activity."

At his police interview, Evill denied fraudulent activity and claimed it was "common knowledge" that "George Morgan was his company".

Following a police search of his house, Evill filled and sealed evidence bags filled with documents supporting his defence and then told police they’d been left behind at his house.

Mr Rees said: "Evill created and planted these evidence bags to bolster his defence at his trial."

A court heard much of the work carried out on the contracts awarded to George Morgan Ltd were completed to a "very poor standard".

A chartered surveyor was drafted in by the health board to examine the work - he concluded that rectifying the work to standard would cost the NHS £1.4 million.

Evill, 42, had initially denied three counts of transferring criminal property, fraud and perverting the course of justice, but changed his pleas on the second day of his trial on Thursday.

Evill and Howells were released on bail ahead of their sentencing next month.

Another man Michael Cope, 43, of Merthyr Tydfil, denies one charge of fraud and will return to court for trial on Monday.