Simon Burgess, 62, from Northampton, collected more than £14,000 from his 27 vulnerable victims, who considered him a trusted friend, on the pretence of organising a coach holiday to Weston-super-Mare in Somerset.

Between January and July 2023, each of his victims, many of whom were in their 80s, paid the 62-year-old between £500 and £600, to cover the costs of the holiday and associated travel costs, insurance, and additional excursions.

However, instead of booking the trip, Burgess pocketed the money and spent it on his own lifestyle, leaving the group, who were looking forward to the holiday, not only disappointed but also at a serious financial loss.

When the group raised concerned around payments, Burgess did not own up and the pensioners were forced to turn to the police.

The group contacted the police for help and Northamptonshire Police’s economic crime unit began an investigation, which led to the arrest of Burgess last August.

Following a complex and lengthy investigation, Burgess was charged with one count of fraud by false representation and later appeared at Northampton Magistrates’ Court in March this year.

He pleaded guilty to the single charge and was sentenced to 18 months in prison at Northampton Crown Court on 5 June.

At the hearing, Judge Lucking described the offence as ‘mean’ as she referenced the serious abuse of position of trust and the vulnerability of the victims as well as his criminal history of dishonesty.

Lead investigator, detective constable James Malt of Northampton Police’s economic crime unit, said: ‘Simon Burgess is a prolific liar and a common thief. He has devasted his victims all of whom are vulnerable and have had their trust shattered by his actions.

‘He abused the trust of people who thought him a friend for his own selfish reasons and did not have the moral fibre to come clean when given the opportunity to do so. He continued to feed his victims a web of lies all of which inevitably fell apart when his offending came to light.

‘I hope he uses his time in prison to reflect on his actions and realise he has burned all bridges with people who were once his friends and has nothing left but a criminal conviction, a prison sentence and live with the weight of his guilt.

‘The victims in this case have stuck together throughout and shown incredible bravery as they faced Burgess head on and made it clear that they would not stand for his actions - which is admirable.

‘Sadly, one of the victims died during the investigation but I hope in time the rest of the group can recover from this and continue to help each other going forward.’

Sergeant Michael Rogers of the economic crime unit added: ‘This was a protracted and lengthy investigation by DC Malt, who dealt with the victims with the upmost compassion in order to secure a conviction against this despicable man, who thought he would get away with defrauding this vulnerable group out of their holiday fund.’