A BLACKBURN man who ran up a series of deception offences, involving more than £10,000, has been jailed for a year.

Edward Van Vessen obtained the use of three addresses under false pretences. The homes were then used as postal addresses as he went about dishonestly obtaining goods and services.

His crimes led to innocent people receiving correspondence mover matters they knew nothing about.

The 25-year-old, of Old Bank Lane, Blackburn, had pleaded guilty to five charges of obtaining property by deception, five of obtaining services by deception, and two of attempted deception.

Between dates in May and July 1999, the defendant, when aged 23, committed a series of offending.

He dishonestly obtained the use of three addresses -- two of them were in Hamer Avenue and Beechwood Mews.

Mr Mark Lamberty, prosecuting, said regarding the Hamer Avenue address, the defendant said he had been thrown out by his landlord. He was therefore given housing priority.

The upstairs bedsit was used as a postal address. In order to gain the tenancy he used the name of an innocent man.

Van Vessen's series of offending included his gaining £875 worth of clothing from a catalogue company, buying flowers to send to his girlfriend and buying a mobile phone.

In addition, he placed adverts in the Lancashire Evening Post for a number of services, for people to write in. One member of the public expected to obtain an international flight and complained to the newspaper when it failed to materialise.