A serial fraudster who conned thousands of people, pocketing more than a quarter of a million pounds, has been jailed.

John Christopher Ineson, 52, of Highside, Starbotton, near Kettlewell, was found guilty of fraudulent trading and 28 counts of obtaining property by deception in June following an eight week trial at Bradford Crown Court.

Yesterday at Leeds Crown Court, Judge Robert Bartfield sentenced Ineson to five-and-a-half years for fraudulent trading. He was given three-and-a-half years for each of the other offences, with the sentences to run concurrently, and he was disqualified from being a director of a limited company for 12 years.

The court heard how Ineson, who previously lived in Keighley, set up four bogus businesses during the 1990s and advertised for people to work for them as agents in return for a registration fee. More than 2,000 people responded to his advert, parting with up to £40 each. The advert, for Leeds-based Property Associates (UK) Ltd, purported to advertise British properties in Hong Kong. About 400 people went on to pay hundreds of pounds more to become area managers, and one man lost more than £4,000.

Jonathan Gibson, prosecuting, told the court how more than £300,000 had passed through the bank accounts of Property Associates (UK) Ltd, Blake Hamilton Ltd, Master Crafts Guild and Henry Davenport and Company.

Jeremy Lindsey, mitigating, said Ineson had not specifically targeted the elderly or vulnerable, adding that no attempt had been made to discredit witnesses.

Sentencing Ineson, Judge Bartfield said: "In all you defrauded thousands of members of the public of a total of at least £300,000 between 1996 and 1999, when you were finally arrested and charged. You did so by means of four entirely bogus businesses that you set up.''

He told Ineson: "You never had any intention of advertising in Hong Kong and simply pocketed the money. You closed the business in November 1997 and for those people you effectively disappeared.''

The other three companies, launched after police began investigating the first, operated in a similar way, claiming to offer customers extended warranty cover on household appliances, help with insurance claims and membership of a tradesman's guild.

The judge commended Detective Constable John Jackson and Detective Inspector Malcolm Whiteley, of West Yorkshire Police, and Detective Constable Andy Abell and Detective Inspector Kevin Ross, of North Yorkshire Police, for their work bringing Ineson to justice.