A fraudster conned thousands of pounds from banks and building societies to fund a new life in Australia - but was arrested as he boarded his flight from Leeds-Bradford Airport.

A Court heard Robert Jolley secured seven large loans and four new credit card accounts to build up a "travelling fund" of approximately £150,000.

He was jailed for 18 months after Leeds Crown Court heard his plan to escape debts of more than £300,000 in Britain.

The 42-year-old, from Hollybank Road, Great Horton, appeared for sentencing having earlier admitted a charge of conspiracy to defraud.

His wife Denise, 44, son Daniel, 23, and daughter Sherridan, 21, were also charged but walked free on the orders of the judge.

Henry Prosser, prosecuting, said they had been involved in the scam, but only through Jolley's "prompting and persuasion".

He listed a catalogue of loans and credit card applications between July 1998 and their planned departure in January 1999, none of which Jolley "had a hope" of paying back.

These included a £25,000 loan from the Halifax, £30,000 from Avco, £12,500 from a Co-Operative Visa Gold Card, a £12,000 'phone loan' from Lombard and £9,000 from Marks & Spencer Financial Services.

Jolley, a partner in Bradford-based Staywarm Windows, provided a selection of reasons for the loans such as a new car or home improvements, the court heard. He varied his salary on the applications from £35,000 to £55,000.

Jolley put £141,000 into an Abbey National account which was later transferred to the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, said Mr Prosser. He opened a second account at Barclays' Brighouse branch to support his scam and obtained a £6,500 jet ski on credit to ship to his new home in Perth.

Jeremy Lindsay, for Jolley, said: "This was not a long- term fraud. There is no doubt that the opportunity for loans makes it all too easy for some people to fill out the forms. Having started the process, he found it difficult to stop."

The court heard that around half the £300,000 debt was secured on his £150,000 house and could be repaid through its sale.