A Jordanian asylum seeker who used more than 20 false names to apply for mortgages and loans has been jailed for three years after an investigation by a Bradford fraud squad officer.

Mashal Almamsour dishonestly obtained more than £800,000 in nearly three years.

The money was used to buy properties in London and Leeds as well as expensive cars, including a £30,000 Chrysler Grand Voyager from the JCT600 garage at Rawdon.

Almamsour was arrested after he was traced by Detective Constable Wasim Bashir, of the Bradford Economic Crime Unit, who established the crook was buying and selling on eBay.

Prosecutor Chris Foren told Bradford Crown Court Almamsour's activities bore professional hallmarks.

He pleaded guilty to nine deception offences involving money transfers and loans and asked for a further nine matters to be taken into consideration, including dishonestly obtaining thousands of pounds of computer equipment and a £22,000 Honda car.

All the properties bought with the loans have been repossessed by the financial institutions involved.

Judge James Spencer QC told the 34-year-old, who is married to a British citizen and now lives in Stockport, that he had been involved in a "cynical manipulation" of the financial institutions for his own personal greed.

"You are guilty of serious criminal dishonesty," Judge Spencer told him.

Simon Bickler, for Almamsour, said his client had been subjected to threats in relation to his immigration status and he was vulnerable because he had come to this country as an asylum-seeker.

The court heard that Almamsour had serious health problems and was awaiting kidney and pancreas transplants.

Det Con Bashir said, after the case: "It was a clever and sophisticated deception. He would use a number of aliases at the same time, but would be patient and not do anything for a couple of years until he had a good credit rating.

"I am glad the sentence has reflected what he has done and the value of what he has done."