A pub manager has praised his staff for helping with the arrest of a conman who tried to dupe him out of cash meant for good causes.

Peter Fisher, from Dewsbury, was jailed for six months on Tuesday after admitting trying to trick Paul Stephenson, the manager of the Cow and Calf pub into paying £40 for an advert in the Ilkley Carnival Committee’s magazine, despite having no connection with the event.

The prolific conman, who has more than 100 convictions of fraud to his name since 1967, had telephoned the pub to set up the scam.

But Mr Stephenson, said he was suspicious and checked out Fisher’s claims with the committee, who confirmed the 59-year-old was a fraudster, before he called the police.

His staff then kept Fisher talking at the pub, when he came to collect the money, until officers arrived to arrest him.

At Leeds Crown Court, Fisher was jailed for a total of six months, having admitted the fraud by false representation on March 28, at an earlier hearing.

Fisher had been before the court in February, when sentencing on one count of fraud and one count of affray had been deferred until August, but has now breached conditions set out then.

Mr Stephenson applauded his staff for their efforts and believes Fisher has probably tried it on before at the pub and other businesses in Ilkley.

“We think he’s rung before trying to collect for different things and I’m sure if you went around other businesses in Ilkley, he tried it with them,” he said.

“He tries to time it nicely and finds out when the manager’s not around to collect money and I was aware of that so I made sure I briefed everybody and they all did a great job.

“Housekeeper Jane Joy did a great job and kept him chatting about all sorts of things like football and rugby and kept him chatting until the police came so she did a great job.

“They all did a great job but I’d single Jane out for special praise.”

Andrew Stacey, chairman of the Ilkley Carnival Committee, said Fisher’s attempted fraud was “despicable”.

Profits from the carnival, which was held on Monday, May 7, are handed out to good causes and organisations around the town.

"Ilkley Carnival is all about putting the funds raised back into the local community and we were genuinely shocked when we heard that someone was claiming to be from the committee and trying to make money for themselves on the back of the opportunities we had created to involve more businesses in the event than ever before,” he said.

"Fraud on any level is despicable but really hits a nerve when it's being undertaken under your own nose in your own community to the detriment of the local people.

“It's testament to the community spirit of Ilkley that everyone acted so quickly and our thanks go to the local police in bringing this man to justice."

In court, Georgina Coade, prosecuting, said Fisher tried to claim he was a member of the carnival committee when he was arrested, but later admitted he was not and said he needed the £40 to buy alcohol.

Michael Collins, mitigating, said his client realised he had not made the most of a chance given to him by the courts with his deferred sentence.

He asked the Judge James Spencer QC to keep the custodial sentence to a minimum so Fisher would not lose the sheltered home he had lived in for seven years.

Sentencing Fisher, the judge, who had reserved the case to himself, said: “Peter Fisher, you are a con man.

“You have very many previous convictions of this kind.”

He sentenced Fisher to four months for the two matters subject to the deferred sentencing and two months for the carnival fraud, to run consecutively.