A PAIR of fraudsters conned their victims out of thousands of pounds by hoodwinking them into paying for stays at a caravan park they did not own.

Luke Madden, 41, of Hadleigh Road, Frinton, and Daron Noel, 43, of Lyndhurst Road, Holland-on-Sea, appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court on Friday to be sentenced for fraud by false representation.

The court heard the pair conned four people into booking stays at Valley Farm Caravan Park, in Clacton, between August 2018 and October 2018.

They scammed their victims of about £7,500 in total.

The court was told Noel sent out messages about the sale of stays at caravan sites and he was promoting the sale of these short holidays for a discounted price.

During an investigation in October 2018, police found mobile phones and a notebook linked to Madden after searching two caravans at the Clacton site.

After examining the notebook, officers found booking details of the four victims.

Madden was subsequently interviewed by officers in November 2018.

He he initially denied the charge of fraud when he appeared in court last June.

However, he later admitted the charge on April 27.

Noel admitted to the charge of fraud on January 27 last year as well as to committing a burglary in Hintlesham, Suffolk, in 2017.

Peter Walsh, prosecuting, said Madden sold on details of his customers at his former workplace GFM, in Colchester, and provided these details to Noel.

Madden was dismissed from the company for late attendance.

Mr Walsh said: “Madden abused the trust of his employer and there were four victims in this crime.”

The reason Madden provided these details to Noel has never been made clear, the court heard.

Ria Banerjee, mitigating, said: “The four victims were refunded the money they lost.”

Judge Christopher Morgan, told Madden if he entered a guilty plea last year it would have saved himself a great deal of trouble.

He said: “[Noel] was in need of cash and raised cash by selling on holiday bookings at a discounted rate.”

Madden was given an 18-month sentence suspended for two years.

He was also ordered to 30 days of rehabilitation and 250 hours of unpaid work.

He will also have to pay prosecution costs of £1,000.

Noel was given a ten-month sentence suspended for two years to run concurrently with his burglary conviction.