A rogue trader who scammed an elderly woman out of more than £5,000 has been jailed for 20 months.

Lewis Brown, 29, from Westerham, pleaded guilty to seven counts of fraud at Croydon Crown Court after a prosecution by Bromley Trading Standards.

The agency first received a complaint from a Biggin Hill resident who had paid Brown a deposit of £800 for a new bathroom which he never delivered.

Brown had also charged the elderly woman £5,000 for a dehumidifier which he claimed was needed for the damp in the attic.

However investigations by a surveyor revealed there was no damp and a dehumidifier was not needed.

Enquiries with trading standards officers in the neighbouring borough of Sutton revealed another incident, where Brown had charged a man over £14,000 to hire a dehumidifier for bogus damp issues in his loft.

The investigation uncovered further cases which resulted in a total of 10 fraud charges being brought against Brown.

One victim, who asked to remain anonymous, said: "I hope he’s learned his lesson and thinks about what he has done and the upset he has caused people."

Councillor Kate Lymer, Executive Councillor for Public Protection and Safety said: "This is a common scam which consumers must be warned about.

"Trading Standards have seen a number of cases over the past couple of years where vulnerable consumers have been tricked into paying so called refundable deposits for equipment.

"Any trader who suggests that a dehumidifier needs to be put in an attic is almost certainly a crook."

Brown was sentenced on July 22, having pleaded guilty to seven charges of fraud contrary to section 2, fraud by false representation.

Three further counts were ordered to lie on file.