"Biddle is a coward... I'm delighted he has been jailed:" Peterborough fraudster locked up after targeting pensioners in city

A fraudster who targeted vulnerable people and conned them out of money has been jailed.

Danny Biddle, 28, committed his crimes at Blossom Court, in Bretton, Peterborough, in December.

He targeted his first victim, a 74-year-old woman, at about 7pm on 17 December when he walked into her living room uninvited and asked for £50 for clearing up her back garden.

The victim refused to hand over the money and Biddle hadn’t cleaned up anything in her garden.

Biddle also targeted a 64-year-old man on 21 December who agreed to pay him £30 for purportedly removing a sofa.

Biddle returned and the victim gave him a further £30, despite him never removing a sofa.

The same day, Biddle asked a 69-year-old woman if she wanted any gardening doing and was told to do weeding.

He got £10 for this and then asked for a cup of tea and waited in the living room while the victim made it.

When she returned, Biddle had left and stolen her purse containing cards and £150 in cash.

Biddle was identified from photos of him on a Facebook group as well as video doorbell footage and he was arrested on 8 January.

On Thursday (10 April), at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court acting as Cambridge Crown Court, Biddle, of Walton Park, Peterborough, was jailed for 41 months, having pleaded guilty to three counts of fraud and one count of theft.

He also activated a suspended sentence.

DC Megan Sims said: “Biddle is a coward who shamelessly targeted vulnerable people, so I’m delighted he’s been jailed.

“If someone comes to your door, don’t be afraid to ask for identification and if in any doubt, just say no thank you and close the door.”