A JUDGE issued a warning last night to greedy people and criminals after jailing two conmen who tried to carry out a so-called "black money" scam in the North-East.

It is believed the case involving African illegal immigrants Daniel Nkwenti and Thierry Mpondo was the first time the confidence trick had been attempted in the region.

The pair travelled from the Midlands to Darlington and onto Teesside in a bid to get a "customer"

to buy what they claimed was thousands of pounds of bank notes covered in dye.

Money stolen during robberies on security vans on their way to banks or cashpoints is usually stained when a device goes off inside the container, so it cannot be used and is traceable.

A court heard yesterday that the black money scam merchants photocopied a note and put it on the top of a huge pile of paper cut to the same size and covered them in dye.

The conmen then claimed they had a miracle chemical which could clean the stained money and showed a case full of real notes as an example of what could be achieved.

University graduates Nkwenti, 37, and Mpondo, 30, travelled on the train from Birmingham to Darlington and booked into a hotel room in Stockton for a sting operation last October.

The pair had arranged a meeting with a client in Middlesbrough and prepared a holdall full of fake money, but Nkwenti travelled back to the train station after a problem arose.

Christopher Knox, prosecuting, told Teesside Crown Court that Nkwenti was stopped by police, and was arrested despite claiming his bag contained traditional African medicine.

Police followed a trail back to the hotel, but, meanwhile, Mpondo had realised something was wrong and persuaded a friend to collect him and drive him back to Birmingham.

Searches of the hotel and several addresses in the Midlands revealed thousands of pieces of paper cut up in the size of Bank of England notes, dollar bills and euros and the "magic liquid" - which was soap.

Imran Gulan, for Mpondo, said he took part in the scam to try to raise money to pay for medication for his sister in the Cameroon who was close to death with HIV.

The pair, who admitted conspiracy to defraud and entering into an arrangement in relation to criminal property, were both jailed for 18 months and will be deported after their release.

Nkwenti, who also pleaded guilty to possessing criminal property, was said by his barrister, Jacqueline Lule, to have acted as a courier and was sorry for shaming his family.

Judge Peter Armstrong told them: "How anyone could fall for such a ludicrous scam it is difficult to imagine, but no doubt there are some of a greedy or criminal nature who might be tempted.

"It would appear that the amount you had in your possession was a kitty to entice others to get involved, and that money seems to have come from this sort of scheme so people did fall for it and, no doubt have lost money as a result."