A MAN from Chester has been sentenced for his part in a cold calling scam done from a Flintshire town.

James Challenger, of The Quarter (Egerton Street, Chester) pleaded guilty to conspiracy last week after conning businesses out of money from his workplace in Flintshire.

Mr Challenger had worked for a Shotton based company called Emergency Support Services where he – and six others who were found guilty - would make false claims for money from other businesses.

It was found that the fraudulent workers would cold call other businesses claiming to be launching a campaign to raise money for the emergency services.

However, their claims to be donating a significant proportion of the money they received from advertising customers to the emergency services were proven to be false.

Judge Niclas Parry summarised that this was a sophisticated conspiracy and that Mr Challenger had played a role in training others in the business.

For his actions, Mr Challenger was handed an 18-month prison sentence which is suspended for two years. He has also been ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid community service and been made to pay £3,000 towards the investigation costs.

The conviction comes after a large-scale investigation by Flintshire County Council’s Trading Standards Investigation Team and the Wales Regional Investigation Team began in 2013, when a warrant was executed at the premises of Emergency Support Services.

Nine people in total were put before the courts, with two being found not guilty.

Between the guilty individuals, they received combined sentences of thirteen and a half years prison sentences, nine and a half of which were suspended for 2 years, 1,300 hours of unpaid work, and £15,500 paid out of their own pockets towards costs.

Flintshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Planning and Public Protection, Councillor Chris Bithell, said: “This was a serious scam that traded on the good reputation of the emergency services and aimed to take money from many small businesses.

“The good work of Flintshire’s Trading Standard’s Investigations Team has closed down this scam business and the sentences handed down by the court sends a signal to others that this kind of business will not be tolerated here.”

Richard Powell, Flintshire’s Team Leader for Trading Standards Investigations, added:

“The investigation took three years of hard work to unravel what was a complex case using investigation techniques we had not used before.

“In the end, it is rewarding to see that the courts recognised the scam for what it was and handed down sentences that reflected their seriousness.”