TWO men behind a computer scam which targeted East Lancashire shoppers are starting four-month jail terms.

Father-of-four Peter McDonagh, 26, and Patrick Stokes, 21, conned people into buying what they believed were laptop computers or camcorders from the back of a car.

But when the buyers, who handed over more than a thousand pounds, got their purchases home they found they had actually got cases of fizzy drinks or flour, magistrates heard.

The duo struck in car parks including at Asda Rawtenstall, and Briercliffe retail park, Burnley -- in areas covered by CCTV cameras.

McDonagh, of Foxstones Crescent, Mill Hill, Blackburn, and his co-defendant, of Infirmary Street, Blackburn, each admitted two charges of deception in April and May. McDonagh asked for two other offences to be considered and Stokes asked for three.

Andrew Creswell, prosecuting, told the court the defendants, who both had records for dishonesty, were purporting to sell laptops or camcorders from the back of a car.

Buyers agreed to part with hundreds of pounds in cash but when they got what they thought was their computer or camcorder case home, they found the cases contained bottles of pop or bags of flour.

Mr Creswell said McDonagh was responsible for £600 being conned out of people in the scam and Stokes for £800.

Graeme Parkinson, defending McDonagh, said the offences were committed because of the greed of the people trying to buy computers and camcorders.

The solicitor told the bench: "You wouldn't, I wouldn't, most people wouldn't contemplate buying a laptop computer from the back of a car." Mr Parkinson said he was not suggesting for one moment that that justified the offences, as it clearly didn't.