Community service for Moray caravan fraud man Neale Rothera

Lossiemouth's Silver Sands caravan park was the centre of the inquiry

A man who conned people out of £53,000 by fraudulently selling caravans at a Moray holiday park has been given community service.

Neale Rothera, 37, collected money from four women and three men for caravans that belonged to other people.

The consultant sales manager pretended he owned the holiday homes at Silver Sands in Lossiemouth.

Rothera, of Leicestershire, admitted fraud at Elgin Sheriff Court. He was also ordered to pay compensation.

Defence advocate Shahid Latif QC told the court Rothera, of Wymeswold, had made a "gross error of judgement".

Sheriff Susan Raeburn told Rothera he could have faced up to two years in prison for the offence.

Instead she ordered him to pay back the money to his victims for their "distress and financial loss".