Conman jailed over hotel scam

A conman who ran up large hotel bills and fled without paying a penny is today getting used to the surroundings of a prison cell.

Posing as a businessman entertaining clients, Mark Leslie enjoyed luxury suites and fine dining at two top North East hotels. The trickster even took his family along for the scam, along with two Tyneside drag queens. Now the 28-year-old has been jailed for 12 months after he was convicted of making off without payment.