Conman targets busy pubs

Licensees are being warned to be on the lookout for a bogus salesman offering advertising space on heritage pub crawl posters.

The conman, who approaches licensees at busy times, is believed to have struck at more than 70 pubs in the Liverpool area over the past few weeks.

He has taken up to £55 for spaces on posters showing the pubs of major cities but the promised advertising does not exist.

Kevin Smith, licensee of the Cornmarket in Liverpool, was cheated out of £50 by the fraudster last week.

"It's not the money it's the principle," he said. "He had the maps with him and receipts and I fell for it. I thought I was clued up and could spot a scam but there you go."

The man shows licensees copies of genuine illustrated pub crawl posters and postcards and attempts to sell space on future editions.

The publisher behind the genuine heritage pub crawl posters has issued a warning to all licensees to be vigilant.

"What started off as a trick has now turned into an epidemic," said Bernie Carroll, of Bernie Carroll Publications.

"It will probably put me out of business and I'm concerned about my reputation. I'm known to pubs from Aberdeen to Lincolnshire. But I'm more worried about people who are losing money right now. I have made over 400 phone calls in the past four days to warn people," he said.

Carroll, who has put together illustrated pub crawl posters for areas including Cardiff and Newport, Bristol, Aberdeen, Cambridge, Manchester and Newcastle, fears that the man make strike again in other areas.

Merseyside police are investigating.