Bilston coach operator jailed for swindling £65k

Anthony Taylor had previously admitted three fraud offences at Wolverhampton Crown Court

A West Midlands coach operator has been jailed for four years after taking £65,000 from hundreds of people for trips that never went ahead.

On one trip 300 pensioners were left in the cold waiting for coaches to Torquay that never turned up.

Anthony Taylor, 57, had previously pleaded guilty to three fraud offences at Wolverhampton Crown Court.

He "built [people's] confidence and then exploited that in the worst possible way", Trading Standards said.

Taylor, of Mount Road, Willenhall, operated TT Tours from a market stall within Bilston Market, the council added.

Lee Jenks, from Trading Standards at City of Wolverhampton Council, said several hundred people have been affected.

"He [Mr Taylor] targeted mostly elderly and vulnerable people and over a period of time he built their trust," he said.

Margaret Lomas said she "doubts" she will get any money back

Margaret Lomas, from Bridgtown in Cannock, was among the people Taylor defrauded.

She paid more than £2,500 in cash for a weekend in York for her and 16 others to celebrate her 65th birthday as well as a five-day trip for two to the Isle of Wight.

She said: "You hear about these people getting scammed and you think it is never going to happen to you, you know, 'I'm too savvy'...but there you go."

Ms Lomas said Mr Taylor had seemed "very professional" and stated he had worked for a number of coach companies around the area.

"This lady was there as well, we were given a receipt for everything, the posters all about advertising various holidays and day trips.

"I feel gutted, because it wasn't only me, there was 16 of us... and because I was the one that did the booking, I felt responsible, even though it was not my fault."

Ms Lomas said she "doubts" she will get any money back.

Images of Taylor’s office have been released

Trading Standards said its investigation was sparked after it was contacted by its markets office about rumours that a large trip to Torquay had been arranged but no coaches would be arriving.

Mr Jenks, said some of the hotels had been contacted by Taylor "and sometimes there had been initial enquiries, but there hadn't been any firm bookings whatsoever or any deposits paid".

He said: "They would go on maybe two or three shorter holidays, and then a longer holiday, so when the £99 trip to Torquay came along, they had confidence in Mr Taylor.

"Some were quite angry and upset, some were out to look for justice of their own but mostly it was disbelief.

"A lot of people were telling me 'Tony wouldn't have done this to me... he is like family' and that just shows the level of trust he had built up."

Mr Jenks stated many people "might see this and think that £99 isn't a lot to lose, but when you have elderly people, this might be their big holiday".