A fraudster who posed as a charity collector has been sent to prison after scamming football fans out of loose change.

Daniel Malone, of Falcon Green, Larkfield, claimed he was collecting money for Help For Heroes at Wembley Park underground station.

But when stopped, officers found his charity ID to be fake.

Malone, 40, was collecting alongside his friend Kevin Rowbotham who lives in Abbey Wood, London.

The pair were spotted on March 5, 2014, the same day thousands of football fans passed through the station on the way to watch England play Denmark at nearby Wembley Stadium.

Both men have been sentenced to 12 months in prison.

The pair were wearing Help for Heroes jackets and carrying made up identity cards.

When officers questioned the men's accreditation they made an escape from the scene.

Help For Heroes, which raises money to help British servicemen and women injured in conflict, later confirmed the two men were not registered collectors, but they had both raised money for the charity previously.

Officers arrested Malone at this home in Larkfield on March 9, 2014 and found property belonging to the charity in his car.

The investigation revealed Malone was registered with the charity in 2011 and had previously raised £800 after taking part in a skydive.

Insp Dan Tanner, of the British Transport Police, said: "The two men fraudulently made money from the travelling public at a high profile event.

"No type of fraud or crime will be tolerated on the rail network and I'm pleased with the sentence handed down."

Jo Pearce, income protection officer at Help for Heroes, said: "Malone and Rowbotham deceived the public into thinking they were making donations which would help our wounded.

"Instead they were cashing in on public goodwill and using the money for their own personal gain. Our anti-fraud measures helped the police catch him and we're delighted they have now been brought to justice."

The pair were found guilty of fraud and sentenced at Blackfriars Crown Court in London last Friday.