A pensioner in his 90s has been duped out of £100,000 by junk mail scammers.

The Sussex man is today at the forefront of a campaign to beat con artists his family described as “parasites”.

Police and trading standards officers are urging people to dump junk mail in specially created bins.

The man, who wished to be named only as “Tom”, was already in his 80s when he began receiving letters from overseas saying he had won large sums in lotteries and sweepstakes.

A former businessman, he admitted he was suspicious when he was asked to send money to “release” his winnings.

He said ruefully: “I thought I was on to a good thing. I wasn’t.”

For full report see today's Argus.