Lewis Bloor trial: Towie star used fake name in £3m diamond scam

Lewis Bloor appeared on The Only Way Is Essex for three years from 2013

The Only Way Is Essex star Lewis Bloor used a fake name to con people in a £3m diamond scam, a court has heard.

About 200 people, mostly elderly, were duped into buying coloured diamonds after being told lies about their value, prosecutors said.

Mr Bloor posed as "Thomas Hankin" and played a "more central role in the fraud", Southwark Crown Court heard.

The 31-year-old, who appeared in the ITV reality show for three years from 2013, denies conspiracy to defraud

He is on trial alongside five other men.

Mr Bloor also appeared in Celebrity Big Brother in 2016

The court heard Mr Bloor was paid £150,000 by one company, Imperial Assets Solutions (IAS) , before he left to pursue a career in television.

One alleged victim, Michael Williams, said Mr Bloor had a "very persistent style" which "subtly put pressure on me".

Prosecutor David Durose QC said: "Mr Williams said he was made to feel that he was buying a valuable item at a fair market price which would quickly go up in value with little risk."

He said Mr Williams bought a stone for £5,978.70, and MrBloor was paid £896.81.

The court heard Mr Bloor would send scripts to those who were cold-calling people.

Two documents found in his home offered investors an "exciting opportunity" to buy rare coloured diamonds bought from the Argyle mine in Australia, which were about to "shoot up in value", the court was told.

Prosecutors said the stones were bought from a wholesaler and were sold on with a mark-up of about 600%.

"Every IAS client who has given a witness statement lost their money and there is no evidence of any client making money," said Mr Durose.

The five others on trial, facing the same charge, are Joseph Jordan, 29, from Waltham Cross in Hertfordshire, George Walters, 29, from Beckenham in Kent, Max Potter, 25, of Enfield in London, Nathan Wilson, 28, of Brentwood in Essex, and Simon Akbari, 27, from Loughton inEssex.

The trial continues.