A 24-year-old man has been given suspended prison sentence for his part in attempt to con an elderly man out of more than £11,000

Atikur Rahman of 22 Sandfield, Cromer Street, London, was handed down the six month sentence, suspended for two years, at Bournemouth Crown Court on Monday (January 25) for his role in an attempted fraud on a 79-year-old Bournemouth man in March 2014.

The court heard elderly victim, who has since died, received a phone call at home on March 24 2014 from a man purporting to be a police officer called 'John Bailey' from Charing Cross Police Station.

He was told he had been the victim of a crime and someone had tried to withdraw £1,000 from his account.

The caller advised his vulnerable victim he could "confirm his identity" both by dialling police on 999 and calling his bank. Unbeknown to him the fraudsters kept the line open throughout, even using a female accomplice to pose as a police switchboard operator.

The victim was so convinced he agreed to withdraw €13,000 from a Euro charge facility in Charminster Road, believing he would be helping a police investigation.

He rang his brother before doing so - and his brother called Dorset Police.

Uniformed officers approached the 79-year-old and told him he had been the victim of a fraud. They took him home and worked with him to set up a sting operation, asking him to call the fake 'Officer Bailey' back and "play along".

The unknown offender on the end of the line told him to put the cash in a box and give it to a taxi driver who arrived to collect it.

Police officers then followed the taxi to a location in London. When Mr Rahman came to collect the box he was arrested.

The court heard there was no evidence to suggest he had been involved in the phone call to the victim - or the call to the taxi to pick up the package.

Mr Rahman had pleaded guilty at an earlier appearance to attempting to possess criminal property, but on the basis that he didn't suspect what the package contained - something the court did not accept.

Judge Peter Crabtree told the court it was a "serious offence" with aggravating factors including "the nature of the crime which was almost successfully perpetrated." But he took into account the defendant's clean record since, his suggestible nature, and his change in circumstances. Rahman was also ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work and pay a £56 victim surcharge.