A convicted conman who was ordered last June to pay back £200,000 to his victims has not paid a penny, it can be revealed.

Eastern Daily Press: Ben Staff pictured in 2016 attending his court case in King's Lynn. Picture: ArchantBen Staff pictured in 2016 attending his court case in King's Lynn. Picture: Archant

Ben Staff was jailed in January 2017 for frauds totalling £1m which he carried out across Norfolk's building trade from 2009 to 2014.

Last June he agreed to pay £200,000 to those he ripped off, funded through the sale of three properties he owned.

A confiscation order was made by the court meaning he had to sell three houses.

But nine months later police confirmed that nothing had been paid to his victims and the homes had still not been sold.

It means the case will now need to come back to court in July so the confiscation order can be enforced.

Martyn Green, from Lenwade, who is owed £14,500, said: 'They told us last year we'd get some money but nobody has heard anything. We are still not getting any money.'

Mr Green is owed for work he did on new houses Staff built at Hainford from 2012. He added: 'Why is he not paying and why are the courts not forcing him to?'

Another man, owed around £85,000 through the confiscation order, said: 'When the order was made we were expecting to be paid. We feel let down because there is a big difference between the legal system and justice.

'It feels that everything is centred around the convicted person rather than the victims.'

A police spokesman said: 'The assets need to be sold and that is why there is a delay.'

Staff ripped off people, including his business partner, contractors and HMRC, by using money intended for his business accounts to fund his own lavish lifestyle.

He also conned creditors into thinking he had no money to pay them.

In reality the 38-year old, from Thorpe St Andrew, used the cash for cars and holidays, renovated his home and paid for his wedding.

His trial heard how Staff took his victims in by using his police background to convince them he was trustworthy.

He served as a PC until 2008 before joining the building trade.

But his sharp business practices sparked complaints and were investigated by this newspaper in 2013.

He was arrested by police the following year and jailed for four-and-a-half years in January 2017.