A CONMAN whose conniving damaged Northwich Victoria has been jailed for two-and-a-half years.

Colin Moore failed to honour a sponsorship deal and tried to bully businesses into advertising with the club programme.

The 45-year-old, from Runcorn, was jailed last week after admitting eight offences of deception totalling around £15,000.

He published magazines and calendars by pretending to work for bodies including a hospice, and paid off businesses and printers with cheques that he knew would bounce.

Around four years ago he made a deal with Northwich Victoria to produce the club's match programmes for free while keeping the profits. He was also able to advertise his company name on the shirts.

Dave Thomas, general manager of Northwich Victoria, said: "He cost us a considerable amount of goodwill and a considerable amount of money.

"His company's name was on our team shirts so people bought the shirts and then of course they weren't authentic.

"He caused a lot of people misery.

"I think people who make a living like this deserve to be in prison.

"He came in promising the world when we were struggling to find a main sponsor."

Moore paid around £1,000 to the club out of a £7,000 deal but no more.

Dave added: "When we chased him up about it he became quite aggressive.

"He just said he knew people in Liverpool.

"The next thing we started getting people calling up who we'd had dealings with for years, saying he had put their ads in the programme when all they did was say they would think about it.

"People were saying he was really abusive and he would say if you don't pay in a week he would take them to court."