An elderly householder who handed over more than £3,000 of his life savings to a gang of bogus workmen has told a jury how he felt intimidated and terrified.

Robert Sutcliffe, 60, was making dinner at his home in the Low Moor area of Bradford last December when a van containing three men pulled up outside.

Bradford Crown Court heard yesterday how one of the gang told him his guttering needed cleaning out, but after another man had allegedly checked it out, Mr Sutcliffe was then told it would cost him £11,000 for it all to be replaced.

Mr Sutcliffe told the jury he felt very intimidated at the time and didn't know whether he was coming or going.

One of the gang said they needed £3,150 to buy materials to start the job and after he persuaded Mr Sutcliffe to let him look at his bank books he offered him a lift into the city centre to withdraw the cash.

"I thought it was expensive to start with for such a job," Mr Sutcliffe told the court.

"I was in a quandary at the time. I just didn't know what to do."

"How did you feel?" asked prosecutor David Bradshaw.

"Terrified. Absolutely terrified," replied Mr Sutcliffe.

The court heard how Mr Sutcliffe and the trio drove into the city centre and he was dropped off with instructions to withdraw the money.

He then handed over £3,150 in cash to one of the men, but while he was withdrawing another £500 from a building society the man disappeared.

The jury watched CCTV footage showing Mr Sutcliffe being dropped off by the gang and a further recording of police officers arresting 26-year-old John Connors from the van which was later found parked in a nearby street.

Mr Sutcliffe picked out Connors during identification procedures the next day and yesterday he told the jury that he thought he was the man who had climbed up to the guttering and had also been driving the van.

Connors, of Geldard Road, Leeds, has denied a charge of obtaining property by deception.

He admitted that he had been the driver of the van and had taken Mr Sutcliffe to the bank although he claimed that he was told by two other men he was working with that the money was for a skip and some scaffolding.

Mr Bradshaw put it to Connors that he was a "cheat and a thief" and added: "You tell lies to get money out of people don't you?"

"No," Connors replied, "I had nothing to do with any deception at this man's house."

The jury were told that Connors has a previous conviction for a similar offence when he cheated an elderly lady out of more than £300.

He pleaded guilty to a charge of obtaining property by deception in Durham last year after he charged the woman £350 for work which should have cost just £15.

The trial continues.