A GUESTHOUSE owner who lost nearly £10,000 to a conman is angry that police did not prosecute the fraudster over their unpaid bill.

North Yorkshire Police told Riccall guesthouse owner Sue Taylor that Michael Luck’s non payment for a prolonged stay by himself and his family was a civil matter.

Mrs Taylor told police: “You will hear this name again” and less than three months later, Luck defrauded Michael Bartram, of Abbey Travel, out of £5,375 by getting and not paying for airline tickets.

This time police did prosecute him and Luck, 72, of Church Street, Bubwith, received a ten-week prison sentence suspended for 12 months and was ordered to pay £5,375 compensation.

Now Mrs Taylor wants to know why the police took a different approach with her and her husband when Luck used similar tactics in both cases.

“The police wouldn’t look at ours,” she said.

“I am afraid Michael Luck is a very persuasive liar and we have all fallen for him. The police were very nice and helpful. We just didn’t get anywhere. We think he (the police officer who dealt with the case) has been conned as well.”

She believes that if police had prosecuted her case, then the travel agency fraud may not have happened.

A spokesman for North Yorkshire Police said of the decision not to prosecute the guesthouse fraud: “It would not be appropriate to comment on this case as no-one was charged with any criminal offences.

“Each case is dealt with on an individual basis. If it is believed that the investigation has gathered enough evidence to support a successful prosecution, the case will be put before the courts.”

Mrs Taylor said Luck took three double rooms at the Park View Guesthouse in Riccall in March 2012 for himself, his wife and his four children, saying that they had come to the end of their house’s lease and had nowhere to live.

But though the guesthouse staff started asking for payment after a few weeks, Luck gave them a bouncing cheque five times, and then came up with constant excuses why he could not pay immediately.

The family ran up £9,838.80 in bed and breakfast charges before they were eventually ejected. Mr and Mrs Taylor later sold the guesthouse to a restaurant. She is still owed money by Luck.