A man from Eccles has been jailed after scamming his vulnerable elderly neighbour out of more than £100,000.
It comes after an extensive investigation by detectives in Greater Manchester Police‘s (GMP) Economic Crime Unit, which was launched after a reported to police that it believed ‘suspicious activity’ was taking place in a 76-year-old man’s bank account.
It was quickly established that the victim was a neighbour of Lee Hodson and his girlfriend Jennifer Picken in Eccles.
Hodson was able to dupe and deceive his way into being named on the victim’s financial accounts by creating online access while posing as the victim, which he did by stealing confidential post, personal paperwork, and the victim’s private information – such as date of birth, phone numbers, previous addresses, occupations, and his National Insurance number, all in order to pass online security checks.
Hodson successfully impersonated the victim and proceeded to set up online accounts using his own contact details, and also used his girlfriend’s bank account to launder the money.
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That’s not all either, as Hodson also sadly updated the victim’s pensions and state benefits so that they would be paid directly into his own account without flagging bank security.
#JAILED | An investigation led by our Economic Crime Unit was launched after a bank reported to police they believed suspicious activity was taking place in a 76-year-old man’s bank account.
The victim’s bank finally contacted the police after a total of was £230,742.39 was withdrawn from the victim’s account to Picken’s bank account in June 2021 – with the money then being withdrawn, spent, and dispersed across multiple accounts and family members.
After police obtained enough evidence, Hodson was charged with multiple offences including fraud, burglary, escape from lawful custody, assault with intent to resist arrest, and money laundering, while Picken was also charged with fraud and money laundering offences.
Hodson was sentenced to five years and four months imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to fraud, money laundering, escaping lawful custody, impersonating a police officer, and burglary offences.
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Picken was sentenced to 22 months imprisonment, suspended for two years, and 150 hours of community service.
Speaking following the sentencing, Detective Inspector Tim Flint, who leads a team of fraud detectives in GMP’s Economic Crime Team, said: “We were investigating a well-planned fraud which ultimately targeted an elderly gentleman out of £100,000.
“It was heartless and they preyed on him because of his age.
“Their despicable actions have had a devastating impact on the victim who has now sadly passed away and now his surviving relatives have had to endure a trial.”
Featured Image – GMP
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Huge shuttle bus effort laid on to get Manchester United fans to Old Trafford amid tram disruption
Daisy Jackson
Transport for Greater Manchester has announced a shuttle bus scheme to help Manchester United fans get to Old Trafford this week, amid major tram disruption.
Fans won’t be able to use trams to get to the ground as usual, due to huge improvement works which are in place until Monday 2 November.
There’ll be no trams at all on the Altrincham, Trafford Park, and Eccles lines, with Airport and East Didsbury trams only going as far as Firswood.
That means that fans heading to Manchester United’s home game against Bournemouth would have been a little stuck without this newly-announced shuttle bus service.
Frequent dedicated shuttle buses will run running Piccadilly Gardens, Altrincham Interchange and the Trafford Centre, taking fans directly to Old Trafford before the game.
Frequencies range from five to 20 minutes depending on the route and time, with details available online. Return services will be in place after the final whistle.
TfGM staff will be at key stops and interchanges throughout the day to help fans get to the match and provide travel advice.
Huge shuttle bus effort laid on to get Manchester United fans to Old Trafford amid tram disruption. Credit: TfGM
Ian Davies, TfGM’s Network Director for Metrolink, said: “There is no good time to disrupt passengers to carry out these works, and this is the first time in over a decade that trams won’t serve Old Trafford on a match day, but these works are essential and will enable us to provide a better service in future. I am very sorry to fans who face disruption.
“We’ve put a range of alternative travel options in place, including dedicated shuttle buses, bolstered Bee Network bus services, rail options and ticket acceptance arrangements will help fans get to and from the game.
“Journey options will be different from usual, so we would encourage supporters to plan ahead, check their route and our website before they travel and leave plenty of time to get to and from the stadium.”
TfGM is advising supporters to leave around an hour earlier to help make sure they arrive in time for kick-off.
Andy Burnham introduces new rules to tackle ‘rip-off’ parking charges
Daisy Jackson
City centre parking is at a premium, especially in a city like Manchester – but we’ve surely all made honest mistakes when paying and been slapped with eye-watering fines as a result.
Well now, Andy Burnham has announced a new Private Parking Code of Practice, which will clamp down on ‘rip-off’ private parking charges.
It will also make it easier for drivers to challenge unfair charges, capping charges for ‘smaller slip-ups’ at £20, and scrapping charges altogether on appeal for ‘honest mistakes’.
The new Code will get drivers a guaranteed five minutes to decide whether to park and 10 minutes to leave once their session ends.
Under the new Private Parking Code of Practice laid in Parliament today, you’ll be able to appeal to have all charges scrapped for honest mistakes like stopping briefly to check directions, and for situations like a medical emergency, breakdown or broken ticket machine.
Then charges will be capped at £20 for other mistakes such as forgetting a parking permit, entering the wrong vehicle’s registration or forgetting to confirm it in the machine when parking.
The Code also freezes the maximum parking charge at £100. Operators who don’t comply risk losing access to DVLA data, meaning that even if they issue a charge, it will be far more difficult to identify the registered owner to pursue payment.
Data shows just under 17 million private parking charges were issued in the UK last year alone.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said: “Being a few minutes late back to your car or typing one digit of your numberplate wrong shouldn’t end with a hefty fine landing on your doormat.
“These charges leave people feeling ripped off and out of pocket, so I’m putting a stop to them.
Andy Burnham introduces new rules to tackle ‘rip-off’ parking charges. Credit: Unsplash, Samuel Isaacs
“We are introducing clearer rules, longer grace periods and lower charges for genuine mistakes, while going after the deliberate scams that rip drivers off.”
Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Angela Rayner said: “Parking should be straightforward, not another everyday hassle. These changes mean drivers get a fairer deal, protected time to park and leave without fear of being unfairly charged, and confidence that private parking providers are held to a higher standard.
“It’s yet another step forward in this government’s plan to take the stress out of everyday life and ease the pressure on people’s pockets.”
Minister for Consumer Action, Kate Dearden, said: “Nobody works hard for their money just to be deceived by a dodgy trader, and this is exactly the kind of everyday rip-off this government is going after.
“By making it easier to take action against car clocking, we are protecting consumers’ hard-earned money and supporting businesses that play by the rules.”
Emily Sergeant -
17th February 2025 
