A FOO Fighters fan conned his own friends and lovers to indulge his love of the band.

Diego Grand stole more than £11,000 from his mates in Hove so he could embark on the band’s European tour.

The 38-year-old invited friends around to his home and then rifled through their pockets and bags to steal credit card details.

He spent the vast sums on Airbnb accommodation, flight tickets and tickets to see his idol Dave Grohl.

Grand, also known as Diego Grand Rodrigo, also bought himself pizzas and food deliveries while abroad.

At Lewes Crown Court he was jailed for one year after admitting 14 counts of fraud.

The Sun newspaper reported that Grand, of Holland Road, Hove, followed the Foo Fighters on their 2018 tour and planned to give the band an Argentina shirt at each stop.

His Facebook posts reveal he had met the band’s frontman Dave Grohl on many occasions.

But it was these social media posts that allowed friends to realise he had scammed them.

Prosecuting Sarah Lindop said: “The defendant would arrange birthday parties, house parties and invite work colleagues, Facebook friends, people he didn’t know particularly well.

“He would make a note of their card details, including the expiry date and security code.”

Grand was rumbled when one of the victims, Sabrina Watson, received two authorisation texts from American Express and Halifax while on holiday.

She told her friend Sue Grant what had happened and she realised she had also been the victim, with more than £3,000 spent on holidays, concert tickets and car rental.

James Yates, defending, said father-of-one Grand had entered guilty pleas to his “unimaginably stupid” crimes at the first opportunity.

He had shown great and genuine remorse for what he had done, Mr Yates said.

Judge Christine Laing QC said: “You say that you don’t know why you committed these offences, but when I see the things that the money you had obtained was being spent on, you were clearly using it to fund a lifestyle you rather aspired to.

“The offences took place over a substantial amount of time and value, to a substantial number of victims and were a breach of trust.

“You were pretending to be these people’s friends, inviting them round to parties at your place where you would then note their card details and use them.”

The judge jailed him for one year and also ordered him to pay back a friend who from who he had borrowed £2,500.

He must also pay another £993 to the card providers, despite taking nearly £9,000 from their cards.