THE manager of a historic hotel and restaurant has been told his job will be held open for him – despite being jailed over a £334,000 fraud.

Sean Lockyear, manager of the White Swan in Middleham, North Yorkshire, was sentenced to two-and-a-half years for selling prestige sports cars which had tens of thousands of pounds of hire purchase owing on them.

Investigators found a complex web of transactions by Sean Lockyear Specialist Cars, which dealt in Porsches, Bradford Crown Court heard.

Brian Hurst, prosecuting, said the father-of-three had left the new owners to cope with bailiffs knocking on their doors and massive bills.

He said that Lockyear benefited by nearly £1m from the fraud, between March 2008, and August 2010.

The court was told that a friend of Lockyear’s, who spent £225,000 on two Porsches, had bailiffs at his home because £120,000 was still owed on the cars.

Lockyear made no comment to police when he was arrested and interviewed.

The 47-year-old pleaded guilty to 14 offences of fraud and theft, committed between March 2008 and August 2010, while trading from his former home in West Marton, near Skipton, North Yorkshire.

The court heard that Lockyear was a man of previous good character and had turned to fraud to prop up his business when he hit financial problems, but he had paid some money back to his customers.

Lockyear had turned his back on the motor trade and has since begun a new life as a hotel manager at the White Swan, in Middleham.

Judge Colin Burn said it was a professional and sophisticated large-scale fraud involving breach of trust of friends and customers who trusted him.

After the case, Detective Constable Shane Martin said: “This was a lengthy and complex investigation into the criminal activities of a man who stole a significant amount of money.

“Lockyear befriended his victims and claimed that he was helping them in business transactions when, in reality, he was defrauding them.

“Although no money has been recovered at this time, I hope that the victims can take some satisfaction from the fact that Lockyear has been brought to justice and will now face the consequences of his criminal actions.”

Paul Klein, owner of the White Swan Hotel, and Blue Lion Hotel, in nearby East Witton, said he sympathised with Lockyear’s situation and that Lockyear was welcome to return to his managerial position after serving his sentence.

Mr Klein said: “It is one of those awful things.”