TWO fraudsters who ripped off small firms across the North of England - including Tarleton and Chorley -- have been given custodial sentences at Teeside Crown court.

Stephen Robert Seddon, 33, from Cheadle, and William Johnston Lavery, 49, from Salford, were investigated by Trading Standards Officers for a year, in respect of their companies UK Business Grants Ltd and European Business Support Ltd.

The companies promised, for an up-front fee from small businesses, that a grant for European funding, national or local government would be found, or the £300 fee refunded. Businesses, including a joiner in Chorley and a Tarleton video engineer, were contacted by teams of telesales and salesman cold-calling and delivering a high-pressure sales pitch. Those who were duped into paying the fee were never found grants and no money was ever refunded.

It is estimated that more than £1 million in up-front fees was collected.

Seddon, who pleaded guilty to fraud, was jailed for one year. Lavery was convicted after a trial and was sentenced to six months, suspended for two years. County Councillor Chris Cheetham, chair of Lancashire's finance and general purposes sub-committee, said: "The sentencing of these men is the culmination of one of the largest investigations ever undertaken by Trading Standards and reflects the scale of the fraud perpetrated on small businesses.

"We deplore the unscrupulous way which small businesses were defrauded through bogus promises and I hope the sentence imposed will deter others who may be carried out such scams on local and national business communities."