Anris Teivans, of Leucha Road, east London, appeared before the town's magistrates on Thursday (June 5) and pleaded guilty to six counts of fraud by false representation.

The 26-year-old booked in to the Courtlands Hotel, in Wilmington Gardens, on May 16 and handed over a GE Capital credit card and used a false name.

Parcels then started to arrive at the hotel — a satellite navigation system and golf shoes were both purchased with an Essex credit card and a book was bought with a Brighton credit card.

Each of these items were collected by Teivans.

Prosecutor Alison May told magistrates the credit cards were still with the owners in Essex and Brighton at the time of the offences.

After collecting the items the fraudster packed up and left the hotel and then made a booking at the Cavendish Hotel, using another different name and again paying with a stolen credit card.

Police were alerted and arrested him while he was on his laptop in the reception area of the Cavendish Hotel.

Officers later found a room had been booked under another different name at the Langham Hotel in Eastbourne, where more parcels were found.

Graham Pithouse, defending, said, "I fully accept it has crossed the custody threshold due to its sophistication.

"However I would like you to give credit for Mr Teivans timely guilty plea and consider that he was arrested on May 22 and has been in custody since that time."

Presiding magistrate, Jerry Noble, said, "This is a very serious offence and it affects innocent people."

A 16-week prison sentence suspended for 12 months was imposed and no costs were ordered due to the time spent Teivans spent in custody.