A man who sold £60,000 worth of fake items to sports fans has been jailed for fraud.

At least 14 victims are known to have paid out for sporting events, packages and memorabilia which they never received in return.

The items included England v Wales Six Nations rugby tickets, Arsenal v Barcelona Champions League football tickets, Wimbledon final tennis tickets and signed England cricket shirts.

They were offered for sale by Jamie Keeble, who persuaded his victims to part with more cash by promising extras such as front row seats and a meet-and-greet with players.

Many of his ‘customers’ were contacted by word of mouth, however he also trawled the internet to directly target members of online clubs or auctions with an interest in sporting events.

Officers became aware of his actions after several people reported falling victim to Keeble, whose aliases also included James Edward Maxwell, James Edward Keeble and James Munroe.

The 45-year-old, unemployed, of Marlborough Close in Horsham, voluntarily attended Crawley Police Station on September 14 2016 and was interviewed in relation to the allegations, all of which he denied.

The offences are said to have occurred between March 1 2015 and September 30 2016.

The case went to trial, and at Lewes Crown Court on Tuesday, April 3, Keeble was found guilty of 14 counts of fraud.

He was sentenced to five years in prison for each offence to run concurrently (five years total).

He received a 40-month custodial term for similar offences in 2012, and this was taken into consideration during sentencing.

Investigating officer, Detective Constable Andy Robinson, said: “Keeble conducted a targeted campaign against a number of victims over a prolonged period of time.

"He offered a variety of high-value items for sale, some of which are not actually available to purchase.

“He denied everything throughout the investigation, claiming the tickets and memorabilia were genuine but that he was let down by his suppliers. This was a total fabrication of the truth.

“He also showed no remorse at any stage, and it is unfortunate that none of the money he claimed has ever been recovered.

"Instead, he used it to fund his online gambling addiction.

“I hope Keeble will learn from his mistakes and resist the temptation to reoffend in the future. His actions have clearly had huge financial implications on his victims.

“I would urge anyone who is offered any tickets or memorabilia for sale through an unrecognised source to be wary.

"Check with the venue or the supplier to confirm the seller is registered and that the goods offered are genuine.

"And if in doubt, don’t buy them. If something appears too good to be true, it probably is.”