POLICE say they are closing in on a man who is believed to have conned people across Lancashire.

Kevin Castle, 42, is wanted by Lancashire, Manchester and Nottingham police forces in connection with a number of offences including shoplifting, identity theft, interception of mail, money laundering, non payment of a confiscation order, a compensation order and non service of a community service order.

Information about Castle was received via the Crimestoppers telephone number which led police to a penthouse flat in the exclusive Rope Walk area of Nottingham last Thursday.

This information was found to be correct and the flat had been rented by Castle since February 2007.

Police gained entry to this flat and have since recovered several items which belong to him.

Other enquiries led police to the Bingham area of Nottingham and on Saturday October 13 a blue Volkswagen Passat with a 56' registration plate was spotted by a police patrol.

DC Anita Fishwick, Lancashire Constabulary said: "Further police enquiries have revealed that Kevin Castle would appear to be something of a "love rat" and uses the guise of being a stockbroker to befriend numerous women.

"We now strongly suspect that he was in the Bingham area of Nottingham over the weekend but that he has now left that area over the last few days."

Castle is described as white, 5ft 5in tall (however, he often wears blocks in his shoes to give him more height approximately 5ft 7in tall).

He has mousey brown receding hair and always wears expensive designer clothes such as Armani, Luis Vuitton and Versace.

He is known to frequent high-class establishments in London such as the Ritz, Claridges and the Dorchester Hotel.

If anybody has any further information that could help the police with their enquiries, please contact Lancashire Constabulary on 01772 614444 quoting log reference number 244SQ/121007 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.