A fraudster who used Facebook to con victims out of hundreds of pounds by pretending to sell them an iPhone was handed a suspended prison sentence and told to do 80 hours of unpaid work.

Glen Bishop, 38, of Standen Way advertised the mobile for sale on Facebook on three occasions between January 3 and March 29 and took the money from his victims using a bank transfer before blocking them. They never received the goods.

Swindon magistrates heard his first victim was conned out of £500, a second lost £250 and a third £240.

Bishop pleaded guilty to all three charges and was given a total of 24 weeks in jail, suspended for a year.

The bench ordered him to pay everything back and added a £115 contribution towards victim services as well as £85 prosecution costs on top.