More than 20 top hotels nationwide were conned by a serial fraudster, a court has heard.

Ian Cullen, 47, pleaded guilty to a series of fraud charges when he appeared before Carlisle Crown Court. He was jailed for four and a half years.

Evidence was given that Cullen had used  other people's credit cards and assumed false names  to pay for stays at top hotels across  the country - including Langdale Chase, the Low Wood and Lindeth Howe in the Lake District.

He is thought to have duped the hotels out of thousands of pounds.

Cullen's con was brought a halt when he was arrested by police for dangerous driving.

However the court was told that one mystery still remained - Cullen's real identity.

Police believe that he was born Paul Anthony Thompson, though he appeared in court under the name Ian Cullen - even though  it  was noted that Cullen was one of the 33 aliases he is known to have used.

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By Andrew Smith

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