A conman who swindled a vulnerable 93-year-old man out of thousands of pounds was jailed today.

Trevor Parry, 63, cashed three cheques totalling £25,700 from pensioner Henry Ferrar for minor plumbing work which should have cost £450.

The offences were described as "grotesque" at Oxford Crown Court, where Parry was sentenced to 21 months in prison.

Peter Coombe, prosecuting, said Mr Ferrar needed a toilet unblocked at his house in Summertown, Oxford, in September last year and contacted plumbers Jonas & Sons, after finding their advert in the Yellow Pages.

Instead, they cleaned the drains, changed a ball valve and added cement to a manhole cover, before making phone calls to Mr Ferrar demanding payment of thousands of pounds.

Mr Coombe added: "The total value of this work is thought to be £450. In fact, Mr Ferrar had paid sums of £6,900, £9,800 and £9,000."

Parry was seen on CCTV cameras paying the three cheques into his bank account and later withdrawing large amounts of cash, Mr Coombe added.

The court heard the prosecution could not prove Parry carried out any of the work, but a man who introduced himself to Mr Ferrar as "Parry" did visit his home.

Mr Coombe added: "It is clear Mr Parry must have been involved in the general actions and knew a great deal about what was going on."

Just weeks after Mr Ferrar handed over the cheques he was found collapsed at his home.

He broke down in tears when he told his son about the scam and now lives in a residential home.

Parry, of Bulan Road, Headington, admitted three charges of converting criminal property earlier this year.

Nick Cotter, defending, said Parry — who has convictions including theft dating back to the early 1960s — laundered the money but was not involved in the work at Mr Ferrar's house. Parry only pocketed £300 and gave the rest to an unnamed ringleader, he added.

After the hearing Oxfordshire County Council trading standards said they were taking a separate case to court in a bid to retrieve Mr Ferrar's £25,700.

They have also got Yellow Pages to remove all Jonas & Sons adverts.

Judge Tom Corrie said it was unlikely Parry only pocketed £300.

He added: "It was cynical exploitation, aggravated by the age and vulnerability of the victim, who was disgracefully and grotesquely overcharged."

Mr Ferrar's son Marcus, 60, said: "It's a dishonourable and revolting act to prey on an old man."

Martin Woodley, trading standards' doorstep crime leader, said: "We are delighted by the sentence — it reflects the seriousness of the evil and nasty crimes committed against old and vulnerable people."

In a separate case, a 56-year-old builder denied fraud at Oxford Crown Court yesterday.

Tom Mobey, of Coopers Piece, Wallingford, denied three charges of fraud, recklessly making a false statement, failing to deliver a notice of cancellation rights to a customer and failing to provide information required by law.

He was granted bail until his trial on March 11 next year