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An "incorrigible" mortgage fraudster who spent his gains on Ferraris and an executive box at Manchester City has been jailed for 11 years.

Mohammed Ahmed, formerly of Deansgate, Manchester, pleaded guilty to creating a fake business directory and making bogus property deals.

The 33-year old was sentenced for the frauds at Leeds Crown Court after changing his plea.

Ahmed had persuaded people to invest in property and, in some cases, kept the money.

The investigation was carried out by the newly-established National Trading Standards eCrime Centre (NTSeCC), based in North Yorkshire.

It became involved after complaints from businesses who had bought space on Ahmed's We Do Trades website.

Traders had been sold advertising space on the website following false claims by representatives about how much 'guaranteed' business would be forthcoming upon payment of a fee, the NTSeCC said.

Traders had "paid between £75 and several thousands of pounds and were locked into long-term contracts, but few, if any, meaningful jobs were ever delivered.

The property fraud was discovered during the investigation into the website.

The NTSeCC spokesman said that in some cases, Ahmed had "falsely exaggerated the value of those properties and in other cases, no property was purchased at all".

"One charge related to Ahmed fraudulently claiming he had the backing to obtain a £10.5m stake in the Beetham Tower, the tallest building in Manchester."

Sentencing Ahmed for this case and for an earlier conviction for mortgage fraud Judge Bayliss said: "Despite a relatively young age you are an inveterate and incorrigible confidence trickster, a consummate and practised liar."

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