A man who fleeced people who thought they were buying dream park homes out of thousands of pounds has been jailed for six years.

Barry Leigh tried to convince estate agents that he was wealthy, by showing them a forged bank statement showing he had funds of over £980,000 to buy sites.

Leigh admitted to Hampshire Trading Standards he had forged the statement to make the agents feel “comfortable” that he had the cash.

Leigh founded and ran a firm called Dream Coastal and Country Homes.

He laundered £626,000 and cheated his victims, with one couple being forced to live in a caravan in laybys for 16 months. They had paid him £140,000 and sold their home to start what they thought was a new life in their lodge home – only to be moved on by the real land owner.

Prosecuting at Portsmouth Crown Court, Edward Elton said that Leigh “would sometimes not be able to buy the site, sometimes not be able to develop the site, and sometimes neither be able to buy it or develop it.

“Sadly this did not stop the defendant from offering the plots for sale or taking money from those who responded to the advertisements.”

On Monday, Judge Roger Etherington banned Leigh from running a company, and jailed him after he admitted two charges of fraud by false representation, forgery of a bank statement, use of a false instrument and money laundering.

Yesterday, Companies House was still showing Leigh as director of Dream Coastal and Country Homes – said to be late filing its accounts.