A MOBILE phone scam led to four men appearing before Teesside Crown Court yesterday.

Paul Cox, 25, of Granville Road, Peterlee, and Andrew Hadley, 25, of John Street, Houghton-le-Spring, pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to defraud.

Colin Cleary, 42, of Edenhill Road, Peterlee, and David Jobson, 34, of Southway, Peterlee, each admitted obtaining services by deception.

Ian Skelt, prosecuting, said Cox and Hadley had worked at an Orange Call Centre where their job involved providing customers' mobile phone lines with pay-as-you-go credits.

Using their skills and knowledge of the system, they illegally credited both their own mobile phones and those of friends, he said.

The other pair were associates of the two call centre workers who provided them with the names of customers who were in turn provided with cut-price calls.

Christopher Morrison, representing Cox, said that he had made a full confession and was remorseful about his actions.

Peter Kilgour, representing Hadley, said his client, who also admitted the offence, had never been in any trouble before and regretted his actions.

Paul Cleasby, for Cleary, said he had made little money out of his role and was sorry for the offence.

Debbie Sherwin, appearing on behalf of Jobson, said he had at first been unaware that the cut-price offer was illegal.

Jobson was sentenced to a combination order of a two- year community rehabilitation order, a 50-hour community service order and ordered to pay £200 compensation. Cleary was given a 12-month community rehabilitation order and 100 hours community service.

Cox was given a 12-month prison sentence suspended for two years and ordered to pay £1,000 compensation.

Hadley was sentenced to eight months in prison suspended for two years and ordered to pay £750 compensation and costs of £250.