Four men who preyed on an elderly woman have been given jail terms after conning her out of her house and tens of thousand of pounds.

John Paul O'Connor, of Sevenoaks, and three accomplices pleaded guilty to their roles in tricking a woman in her eighties into selling her North London home for a third of its value.

A police investigation revealed a group of rogue builders targeted the woman in 2008, telling her that her property needed extensive work.

The victim, who couldn't afford it, was introduced to 36-year-old O'Connor as someone who could purchase her house and complete the works, while allowing her to continue living there.

After taking the victim to a solicitor, who did not act in her best interests, she agreed to sell.

Once the sale was complete, the woman was told to write out four cheques totalling £70,000 which were paid into two accounts in the name of Roger Knight, of Meridian Way, Enfield.

Once cleared, the cash was removed from the 44-year-old's accounts.

Samuel Smith, 40, of Old Bath Road, Reading then targeted the victim, claiming the property needed underpinning and defrauded the lady out of a further £28,500 before returning again to con her out of another £8,500.

Five years later, in 2013 the victim was hit again when she was informed she could buy back the property.

The arrangement forced her to ask an elderly friend to help finance the purchase.

She transferred £27,000 into an account held by John Keenan 39, of Arrow Close, Luton, who immediately moved the funds.

During the investigation, police found Keenan had credited his 11-year-old daughter's account with over £100,000 cash over 18-months which was spent on luxury goods and living expenses.

O'Connor received a sentence of four years and nine months' in prison after pleading guilty to fraud by false representation.

Smith pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud by false representation and was sentenced to three years' imprisonment.

Keenan pleaded guilty to two counts of money laundering and was sentenced to 43 months' imprisonment while Knight, who pleaded guilty to money laundering concerned in an arrangement and was sentenced to 18 months, suspended for two years.

DC Rob Enderby of the Metropolitan Police criminal finance team, said: "It will be a long time, if ever, that the victim's faith in others is restored but I hope that the conviction and sentencing of this unscrupulous group will at least help her begin to feel safer."

As part of his guilty plea, O'Connor has agreed to sign the house back over to the victim, therefore returning the title to her name. Confiscation proceedings are now set to take place.