A man who conned people out of thousands of pounds by offering non-existent lorry driver training has been jailed for nine months.

Alex Avraam, 38, was prosecuted by Enfield Council after an investigation by its trading standards team.

Avraam, who was known to enforcement agencies, set up a new company Click HGV at the East Lodge Business Centre, in Botany Bay, offering heavy goods vehicle training for drivers.

But despite taking at least £1,000 from numerous applicants, including one who paid £5,500, just one person ever received any training.

Avraam also used a number of applicants' credit and debit card details to launder money and used one to set up false identification documents.

The fraudster, from The Downs, Harlow, pleaded guilty to 11 charges of fraud and was jailed for nine months at Wood Green Crown Court on Wednesday.

He was also ordered to repay almost £9,000 to two of his victims within the next 12 months.