The Bristol duo, James Leslie, 45, of Dundry, and his father, William Leslie, 74 of the same address, have both been given suspended jail sentences after trying to cheat the system to gain personal gain through various bounce back loans.

James Leslie, a builder from Bristol, overstated the income from his construction companies to secure two Covid bounce back loans totalling £100,000. He has been handed a two-year sentence, suspended for 18 months at Bristol Crown Court for fraud by false representation.

His father William Leslie pleaded guilty to one count of fraud in June after making a second bounce back loan application for Logan Housing Limited where he and his son were the sole directors. He was sentenced at the same hearing to 16 months in prison, suspended for 12 months.