A fraudster who persistently plagued residents with “sob stories” in a bid to fleece them out of cash has been banned from knocking on doors.

Hounslow police requested Darren Bingham, 29, of Beech Road, Bedfont, be given a post- conviction antisocial behaviour order (Asbo) after Feltham magistrates sentenced him to a community order.

Bingham, who admitted five counts of fraud between May 2007 and January this year, is now banned from knocking on any door or entering any part of a residential premises without permission from the owner for a minimum of two years. The Asbo also forbids him from begging or attempting to beg for cash.

Prosecuting Bandana Batra said the Syon safer neighbourhood team had received many calls from people complaining about Bingham making doorstep calls and lying in an attempt to get handouts.

In May, 2007, Bingham conned a resident in Wigley Road, Hanworth, out of £4 by claiming his girlfriend had fallen ill but he could not get her to hospital because his car had broken down.

On October 23, last year, he pocketed £10 from a household in Hartham Road, Isleworth, by pretending his grandmother had died and he needed to pay for transport to Slough.

His latest lie, in January, saw him call into the reception area of Isleworth and Syon School begging for money to help get his diabetic wife to hospital – but staff saw through the lie and refused to pay up.

Defence solicitor Kam Varaitch told magistrates last Monday that the circumstances that led to Bingham’s crimes were “all too familiar”.

He told the court Bingham lost his job after becoming addicted to drugs and took to begging on the streets. He added: “From there on he found it was easier to provide members of the public with a story.”

In addition to the community order, Bingham was ordered to make two separate compensation payments of £10 and £4 and told to pay £70 costs.

The community order involves supervision for 18 months and spells in drug rehabilitation for 12 months.

In September Bingham admitted attempted burglary at Isleworth Crown Court. Last month he was sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for two years.

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