A BUILDER who lost his job but was too scared to tell his wife conned traders into giving him materials and sold them for scrap.

Jason Hull pretended to leave for work every morning and kept his financial problems from his family But the 33-year-old kept the money coming in by using his knowledge of the trade to con merchants into giving him lead flashing, which he subsequently sold for cash.

Hull, of of Bank Hey Lane North, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to six offences of committing fraud by false representation at Blackburn magistrates.

He asked for four similar offences to be taken into consideration and was remanded on bail for the preparation of a pre-sentence report.

Catherine Allan, prosecuting, said the six charges involved Dewson Ltd.

She said Hull had gone into the depot in Higher Barnes Street to collect lead flashing which he had phoned about earlier, claiming to work for Craig Hambling.

But a member of staff became suspicious and checks revealed he had been in on several previous occasions and secured lead flashing by the same deception.

When interviewed Hull confirmed he rang before arriving to make the purchase look more realistic.

"He said he knew what he was doing was wrong but because he had lost his job he needed to do something to support his family," added Miss Allan.

Daniel King, defending, said Hull had been employed in the building trade since leaving school and when he lost his job thought he would get a job quite quickly.

"He was the sole breadwinner and he couldn't pluck up the courage to tell his partner he had lost his job," said Mr King.

"He was still going out every morning pretending he was going to work but he wasn't getting any money.

"He knew from the time in the trade that these builders merchants have fairly lax credit control systems and exploited that."

Mr King said that when Hull's partner discovered what he had been doing she kicked him out.