A CONMAN who pocketed commuters’ charity donations from Hampshire to Merseyside has been jailed.

Roy Bardy, 48, was jailed for 13 months yesterday after pleading guilty to two counts of fraud by false representation.

The Dagenham man operated across eight counties over a period of three years.

Blackfriars Crown Court heard how he recruited volunteers and employees to stand at rail stations across the country, including Fleet, Rushmoor and Winchester to collect money for many local charities.

He claimed to be collecting money for NAS International Charities while carrying out the scam in Hampshire.

British Transport Police officers were first alerted when commuters complained of his suspicious behaviour from Bardy and an investigation began which led to officers searching his rented office in Dagenham and ultimately his arrest in November 2010.

It was discovered that he was approaching charities and offering his services as a charity collector and once he had gained their trust, he would establish contact with the train operation companies seeking to have authorised charity collectors at stations on specific dates to collect donations from commuters.

Charity collectors were then able to attend in possession of appropriate ID and letters from charities, completely unaware of what was being said and done in their name.

Although some of these collections may have been legitimate, Bardy admitted some money collected had been taken for himself.

Sentencing Bardy to 13 months imprisonment for each offence concurrently, Judge Henry Blacksell said: “You made multiple fraudulent, deceiving transactions over the years. It was a breach of trust and a representation which causes people to suffer.

“You are a manipulator, and a dishonest man.”