A FAKE car salesman who duped customers out of more than £200,000 for flashy models they had only ever seen online has been jailed for five years.

James Fyfe pleaded guilty to fraud after claiming to run the company Prestige Lifestyle Supercars which he promoted online offering Porsches, Lamborghinis, other expensive cars and personalised number plates.

The 26-year-old used social media to promote the company which had its own Facebook page and boasted a depot in Shoreham.

He also advertised on website Piston Heads.

But when customers paid deposits, the cars never turned up. Instead he used the money to hire luxury supercars, buy designer clothes and treat friends and family to meals out and hotel stays to give the impression of being a successful businessman.

Fyfe, of Stane Street, Slinfold, even appeared in the national press in December last year pretending a Lamborghini that crashed was rented from his fake company.

He was arrested after a customer reported him to the police when three cars she paid an £88,000 deposit for never arrived.

He was taken into custody on February 9 on suspicion of fraud and then arrested again for more offences which had come to light and charged.

Fyfe appeared at Chichester Crown Court on June 9 and was sentenced to four years imprisonment for fraud totalling £231,000.

He was handed 12 months each for the six breaches of a serious crime prevention order to be served concurrently alongside the main sentence.

His crimes activated a one-year suspended sentence he received in May last year for previous fraud offences.

This followed a previous conviction in 2014 for other fraud offences for selling non-existent goods on eBay and charges for seven breaches of a serious crime prevention order and money laundering.

Detective constable Sara Liau said: "Fyfe duped everyone he was involved with that he was leading a lavish lifestyle. However it was all a lie, nothing Fyfe posted online was real.

"Fyfe committed all the offences under the guise of his bogus company, registering it and producing merchandise to give the impression of it being legitimate."