A Gravesend man's been jailed for his part in a complex fraud involving the sale of fake identities.

Jason Place, 42, of Romulus Road, operated from the comfort of his Alicante villa in Spain, with employees working on the website Confidential Access to sell innocent victims' identities.

A police operation lasting some two-and-a-half years revealed a well-practised production line of authentic-looking documents.

Many were bundled together and sold as full credit profiles, which included wage slips, credit history printouts and a postal address - making it possible for the customers to defraud companies of thousands of pounds.

One of the top end products was called the Platinum Profile.

Clients paid £5,500, and for this were given instructions on how to commit identity fraud.

The scammers also had a profile called the 100% Creditmaster profile which was exclusive to VIP members of the website.

This would usually cost £2,000. However, if the customer successfully committed fraud with the Creditmaster profile, Confidential Access would ask for 50% of the customer's first fraud or threaten to wreck their credit profile.

A monthly subscription fee bought members access to forums where they could discuss how to use the identity documents to commit fraud and seek other tips and advice.

Of the 11,000 clients who used the company's services, some spent more than £20,000 on false documentation.

Some clients went on to commit fraud of their own, which in some cases totalled more than £1 million.

Police finally cracked the gang's fraud when they analysed servers seized from Hong Kong.

This led to a breakthrough by officers when they cracked the highly sophisticated encryption codes used.

DI Tim Dowdeswell said: "This was a sophisticated operation which has netted millions of pounds over the years.

"These cyber criminals not only provided the tools to commit fraud they instructed their clients in how to use them to make the maximum amount of money, whilst ruining real people's credit histories into the bargain.

"We have already brought many of their students in crime to court and will continue to work with other police forces and partners to bring those people who bought and used these identities in their own frauds to justice."

Six men in total were sentenced at Southwark Crown Court for a catalogue of fraud offences.

Place, 42, was jailed for six years and nine months, for conspiracy to defraud.

Mark Powell-Richards, 59, a credit broker and antiques dealer of Nightingale Lane, Bickley, was jailed for two years, three months, for conspiracy to defraud.

Allen Stringer, 57, of Crossgates, Leeds was sentenced to two years, three months for conspiracy to defraud.

Michael Daly, 68, a former chauffeur of Stone Court, High Street, Erith was sentenced to 12 months suspended for two years and 250 hours of unpaid community service for conspiracy to defraud.

Jaipal Singh, 31, a director of a telecoms company, of Franchise Street, Wednesbury, West Midlands was sentenced to 18 months for conspiracy to defraud.

And Arun Thear, 22, a student, of Walsall Road, West Bromwich, West Midlands was sentenced to six months in jail, suspended for two years and 150 hours unpaid community service for forgery.

All six had pleaded guilty at earlier hearings.

The Crown Prosecution Service made a decision not to prosecute Barry Sales because he has a terminal illness.