A conman who preyed on an elderly man has been jailed after a vigilant neighbour spotted his photograph in the Telegraph & Argus.

Julian Hutchinson was jailed for ten months by a Bradford Crown Court judge yesterday for tricking an 89-year-old man into buying smoke alarms he did not need.

The court heard that after serving a prison term for similar deceptions Hutchinson was at it again within weeks.

He went to the pensioner's home, looked at the smoke alarms inside, and claimed they were obsolete.

He offered to fit two new alarms and was given £30. But when West Yorkshire Fire Service inspected the existing alarms they found there was nothing wrong with them, other than one needing a new battery.

Hutchinson, 52, of Frizley Gardens, Frizinghall, Bradford, pleaded guilty to obtaining money by deception.

Jonathan Gibson, prosecuting, said Hutchinson was jailed for nine months last September for similar offences of deception.

In December, after his release, he took £30 off Mr George Collinson after telling him his alarms were out of date.

He said he would return a week later to fit new ones, but Mr Collinson became concerned after having his attention drawn to the T&A's story about Hutchinson.

Hutchinson was arrested and found to be in possession of some smoke alarms.

Stephen Wood, mitigating, said that although the victim in the current case was elderly his client was not targeting elderly people.

"This is not the usual con-trick," he added. "There is no evidence that the defendant overcharges.

"His criminality is in suggesting new alarms are required when they are not."

Passing a six-month sentence for the latest offence - and ordering that Hutchinson also serve the four months outstanding on his original sentence - Judge Peter Armstrong said he accepted he was not deliberately targeting elderly people.

He told him: "If you were, you would be going to prison for years rather than months.

"Until 1991 it appears you have led a law-abiding life. Why you should have turned to dishonesty I do not know.

"Having been released from prison in October, you then went on December 13 to deceive a gentleman called Collinson, who is 89, out of £30 - no doubt £30 he could ill-afford to lose.

"You are not a cowboy, in respect of the quality of the work, but nevertheless you remain a convicted conman," said the judge.

Today Shipley Fire Station Commander Jim Hainsworth, said he was delighted that Hutchinson had been jailed.

He said: "The people of Bradford will be able to sleep easier in their beds tonight. There has been a lot of effort put into bringing this conman to trial by the police, the fire service and the Telegraph & Argus.

"He did a lot of harm going around telling elderly people that we didn't know our job and telling people they needed alarms fitted when they didn't."