A ROSSENDALE businessman who was jailed for conning investors out of £80,000 for a doomed film has seen his prison term cut.

Mohammed Suba Miah, 33, had been part of a project to attract inves-tors to a new picture, ‘A Town Called Arthur’, London’s Appeal Court was told.

Lies were told to investors regarding possible tax breaks for becoming inv-olved in the movie’s prod-uction, the court heard.

But while a cast and film crew were recruited, by late 2008 it became appar-ent that the project had stalled after ‘much wasted time and effort’.

His business partners had flown out to South Africa to attract investors into the abortive film, the court heard.

Miah, of Schofield Close, Rawtenstall, was originally jailed for four years and nine months after admitting conspiracy to commit fraud, forgery, and running an unauthorised business.

But Lord Justice Treacy, sitting with Mr Justice Mitting and Judge Alistair McCreath, ruled that Miah’s sentence had been excessive as the sentencing judge had not taken account of his guilty pleas.

Miah’s prison sentence was reduced by three months to four-and-a-half years.

The court heard Miah was also involved in selling shares in biotech firm Daval International, and was said to have acted ‘unscrupulously’ while cold-calling investors.

Two alone were said to have lost £100,000 as a result of the scam.