Fake holiday fraudster who scammed families jailed

Kirsty Sheldon was jailed for two years and eight months at Durham Crown Court

A fraudster who left families without holidays and pocketed loans of more than £98,000 has been jailed.

Kirsty Sheldon spent months selling breaks to customers at a North East caravan site between 2017 and 2018.

While some did get away, 10 families turned up to find others occupying the mobile homes they had booked.

Sheldon, 45, of Defoe Crescent, Newton Aycliffe, admitted fraud and possession of criminal property and was jailed for two years and eight months.

Some ripped-off customers turned up to find bookings that did not exist or caravans not available, Durham police said.

'Families tricked'

During the same period, Sheldon persuaded a businessman to hand over cash to allow her to buy goods to sell, but nothing was ever purchased.

The loans amounted to more than £98,000 and the double bookings for the holidays came to about £4,200.

Sheldon, who pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing, was sentenced at Durham Crown Court on Thursday.

Det Con Ali Blackett, of Durham Constabulary's Economic Fraud Unit, said Sheldon "brought misery" to a number of families by tricking them out of their money.

"This is a heartless crime and Sheldon took advantage of hardworking people, some of them will be affected by this for the rest of their lives," she said,

"Hopefully this sends out a message that this kind of behaviour is completely unacceptable."