A CONMAN who tried to sell two £20 locks to an 88-year-old woman for £400 was today starting a two and-a-half year jail term.

Faisal Khan had told the frail pensioner he was from social services and she needed new locks because of a spate of burglaries in her area.

He was so desperate to get his hands on the pensioner's cash that he helped her write a cheque and then drove her to the bank, Bolton Crown Court was told.

But alert bank staff became suspicious and called police. Khan was arrested in the bank as he waited for the cheque to be cleared.

Khan had also duped an elderly couple into parting with £360 for two personal alarms worth only £13 each, claiming he was carrying out a survey for social services.

The court was told that Khan deliberately targeted vulnerable, elderly people as a way of making easy money.

Judge Gillian Ruaux described the offences as "wicked and mean".

Khan, aged 32, of Manchester Road, Westhoughton, admitted attempting to obtain money by deception. He also asked for another similar offence to be taken into consideration. A further charge was left to lie on file.

Prosecutor Wayne Jackson said 88-year-old Margaret Riley was about to sit down to eat her Meals on Wheels food when Khan knocked on her door.

Mr Jackson said: "Khan just barged past, saying he was from social services and had come to speak to her about security because of the number of burglaries in the area.

"He told her she did not have the right locks on her front and back doors and that he had two locks which, he claimed, could be deadlocked.

"He had produced some form of identity card which Mrs Riley could not see properly and said the locks would each cost £20.

"She said she did not keep money in the house and Khan said he could take her to the bank to get the cash. He also helped her fill in a cheque for £400."

The court was told that Khan took her to a bank in Leigh but staff became suspicious and contacted police.

Khan also duped an elderly couple in Crewe out of £360 for two alarms, each worth only £13, after claiming they were directly connected to the police station.

Anthony O'Donohoe, for Khan, said he was the eldest in his family, felt pressure to provide for them and gain respect from the wider Asian community.