A PPI fraud scheme which led to elderly victims being scammed was started by a woman in High Wycombe.

A bank account which was set-up at an address in Abbey Barn Road, near Flackwell Heath, was used to rake in more than £900, with some of the cash later being withdrawn in Spain.

A judge ordered Sara Hockliffe, 42, to undertake 100 hours of community service after the court heard she played a “fundamental” role in opening the account, despite not knowing what it would be used for.

Judge Karen Holt said: “There was a PPI scam and vulnerable victims were defrauded. I sentence you on the basis you weren’t involved in the conspiracy to defraud, but you set up the bank account.

“Without people like you, fraudsters cannot carry out their horrible actions and get the money off vulnerable victims like that.”

She added: “I have given you a chance. I could have sent you to prison, but I have chosen not to.”

The court heard that within the space of eight days in 2013 Hockliffe opened accounts with Metro Bank and Halifax in her name for a friend living in Spain named Shaun Noble, for business use. She was paid 200 Euros for doing this.

When setting up the two accounts, Hockliffe gave the address in Abbey Barn Road as her home address.

She later told police in interview this was the home of her former partner, who had the habit of opening her post and telling her if anything important had arrived for her.

During an investigation, six people said they were contacted by the conmen using the account with two of the targeted cold call victims handing over their money.

The money that was fraudulently obtained by the scam artists who capitalised on Hockliffe setting up the account was later found to have been withdrawn in a series of transactions in Spain – but no CCTV evidence existed.

Hockliffe was found guilty of conspiring to convert criminal property following a two day trial at Aylesbury Crown Court.

However, during the trial Judge Holt ruled there was insufficient evidence to convict her of a separate charge of conspiracy to defraud and ordered jurors to acquit.