FRAUDSTER Peter Berry, wanted for allegedly tricking a Swindon woman out of £20,000 since his release from prison, has been sighted in London with a full beard.

The 48-year-old is wanted for recall to prison after being accused of stealing tens of thousands of pounds from new victims.

Berry was sentenced to 63 months in prison at Truro Crown Court in May 2010 after he pleaded guilty to 19 separate fraud offences.

He admitted conning women around the world out of hundreds of thousands of pounds after tricking his way into their hearts and then plundering their bank accounts.

Berry abandoned his flat in Sea Lane, East Preston and disappeared after he was linked to three new fraud offences committed since he had left prison.

Now detectives have been alerted to a sighting of Berry in London and are confident it is reliable. He was spotted in a bar in the capital on September 28 with a full beard and speaking with a thick Eastern European accent.

Detective Constable Kev Reay, of Sussex Police, said: “We are very confident that it was Berry in the bar as he was seen by someone who knew him well.

“We are working with police forces across the country to try to trace him but we also need the public’s help. Berry targets single women, tells them extravagant lies and persuades them to give him large sums of money.

“He needs to be caught before he claims any more victims.”

Among Berry’s previous victims are women with whom he started relationships with before stealing their identities to take out bank and car loans.

He also used his elderly mother’s identity to forge credit card and loan applications and racked up debts on her own cards.

Berry, who also uses the names John Keady, Jay Smith, James Smith, Dr James Smith and Taz Keady, was released from prison early on licence.

He was recalled to serve the remainder of his term in November last year after he was linked to two new fraud offences committed since he had left prison.

Berry was released from prison in September 2012 but a month later had met his first new victim.

He tricked the 43-year-old from Swindon into lending him £20,000 for an investment. Then he disappeared.

A second woman, from Southampton, was persuaded to lend him £18,000 and a 63-year-old woman from East Preston handed him £15,000 to invest for her.

The women have not heard from Berry since.

After his release, Berry moved to a flat in Sea Lane, East Preston. Officers have been following lines of inquiry across the country but have so far been unable to arrest him.

Anyone with information should email 101@sussex.pnn.police.uk quoting serial 1530 of 29/11, call 101 or contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.