Man who stole £14k for fake Somerset holiday jailed

Simon Burgess stole the money after promising to take his victims to Weston-super-Mare in Somerset

A man who stole thousands of pounds from a group of elderly people for a non-existent coach holiday has been jailed for 18 months.

Simon Burgess collected more than £14,000 for the would-be trip to Weston-super-Mare in Somerset.

The 62-year-old from Northampton pleaded guilty to one count of fraud by false representation earlier this year.

At Northampton Crown Court last week he was sentenced to 18 months in jail.

Simon Burgess pleaded guilty at a hearing earlier this year

Northamptonshire Police said between January and July 2023, each of his 27 victims, many of whom were in their 80s, paid him between £500 and £600.

Instead of booking the holiday, Burgess used the money to fund his own lifestyle.

Concerns were raised by members of the group and officers began a seven-month investigation, described as "complex and lengthy".

Det Con James Malt from Northamptonshire Police said Burgess "continued to feed his victims a web of lies, all of which inevitably fell apart when his offending came to light".

"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," he added.