A CONMAN who ‘preyed on the vulnerable and elderly’ has been ordered to handover almost half a million pounds from his life of crime.

Robert Barker, 59, who police believe targeted pensioners across East Lancashire, had now been ‘hit where it hurts’, officers said.

Barker, of Manchester Road, Nelson, claimed he was a ‘self-employed builder, tarmacer and pony trader’.

But detectives found he had £173,000 in a string of bank accounts set up in different names.

The confiscation order also covers houses in Nelson and Lancaster, pieces of land, a Land Rover and an ornate caravan worth £25,000.

Barker was jailed for two-and-a-half years in January for conning a frail 86-year-old Burnley woman out of £450 by saying he had done work on her house.

Police estimated that the total he took from the woman over a two year period amounted to £40,000 but added that there were other unidentified victims across Lancashire.

Financial Investigator PC Stuart Haigh from Lancashire Constabulary's Proceeds of Crime Unit said: "This was a well planned, fairly sophisticated money laundering scam and this man posed a great threat to vulnerable people so I am pleased that not only has he served a prison sentence, he will also have to sell his assets."

PC Haigh said that as Barker was only prosecuted in relation to one victim, officers had to show that he had conned other people.

He said: “Through financial investigation we revealed that Barker's lifestyle far exceeded his declared income and were able to demonstrate that his benefit from crime was close to half a million pounds.”

Yesterday's proceeds of crime hearing was told the recoverable assets Barker had was £480,000.

Judge Beverley Lunt made a confiscation order for that sum. She ordered he pay the money in his bank and building societies accounts within 28 days and the balance within six months, or face another three years in jail in default.

Police have been investigating Barker's finances for 18 months, since his latest arrest in May last year.

Barker, who has convictions for dishonesty going back 30 years and has served five-and-a-half years for conspiracy to steal from the elderly, was found to have £173,000 in 11 bank accounts. Some of the accounts were in the false names, Frank Bell and Robert Livesey.

Burnley Crown Court had earlier been told how the defendant insisted cash in his accounts was undisclosed earnings from work. Police had uncovered his latest criminal enterprise after a handbag belonging to the vulnerable Burnley pensioner was found in a Hapton lodge, last May.

In it was a Marsden Building Society book showing regular cash withdrawals. The bag was returned to the owner, who suffered considerable short-term memory loss and police launched an investigation.

Barker admitted fraud, possessing an article for use in fraud and six money laundering allegations, between 2003 and 2007.

The Proceeds of Crime Act was introduced to give back a person's profit from crime to the victims where possible. In Barker's case there is only one identifiable victim - the Burnley pensioner- and she has already got her money back.

The £480,000 will be split between the the government, the police, who could invest it in community projects, and the court services.

PC Haigh added: “The legislation has ensured that he is no longer allowed to enjoy the profits of his crimes which will hit him where it hurts."