A con artist who claimed to be an international showjumper and businessman to cheat horse enthusiasts out of hundreds of thousands of pounds has been ordered to pay back just £1.

James Condliffe was found to have benefited from crime to the tune of £290,250 - but has no assets.

A judge, therefore, made the nominal order at a confiscation hearing on Tuesday - with seven days added to his sentence of over four years imprisonment if he fails to pay.

As part of the deception, Condliffe boasted he owned a grade II detached country estate in Ashford with seven acres of land, stables and a swimming pool.

One victim was elderly Ashford farmer Warren Alcock who lost £100,000 and was left in debt.

Condliffe, who in March last year admitted 21 offences of fraud by false representation and one of using a false instrument between July 2012 and July 2014, was described by Judge

Charles Macdonald QC as "a predatory and remarkably cruel character".

Maidstone Crown Court heard the 34-year-old, of Cross Green Farm, Upper Berwick, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, spun a web of lies to defraud investors.

Prosecutor Ed Connell said Condliffe, who had a stable yard in Wye, claimed a horse called Gotti was worth a £100,000 when he had paid £12,000.

He went to 85-year-old Mr Alcock’s farm in September 2012 and showed interest in renting his stables and said he had grand plans for expansion.

He persuaded Mr Alcock to invest £50,000 in Gotti and “bargain basement” bankrupt horse stock that was never bought, and to take out a £25,000 loan on his behalf.

Mr Alcock also allowed Condliffe to write out blank cheques, one of which for £51,000 was used to pay-off another victim.

The farmer, who told in a statement of “feeling like a fool”, was still in debt to his bank.

Condliffe posed as a bona fide buyer of Thimble Hall in Charing which was put on the market for £650,000 in 2014.

He claimed to be awaiting probate after his father’s death but wanted to move in to impress clients.

The owner agreed but no rent was paid. Condliffe posed as the true owner when he invited prospective clients there.