A CHARITY for terminally ill children has branded a suspended sentence for a conman who targeted them “gobsmacking”.

Gary Ferris, 38, from Ashford, in Kent, pretended to collect thousands of pounds for the Redbridge-based charity Hopes & Dreams, but pocketed the cash himself.

Throughout 2007 and 2008 Ferris held several race nights a week in pubs across the Home Counties with punters encouraged to bet on a DVD of horse races.

When one of the venues contacted Hopes & Dreams they knew instantly he was a conman as the charity holds all its fund-raising events in the Prince Regent Hotel, in Manor Road, Woodford Bridge.

Charity chairman Ruth Salahi said: “A guy from a working man's club phoned us up and said how much he enjoyed our race nights. I knew we didn't do that because we hold all our events at the Prince Regent.

“We are totally voluntary and we work very hard to raise money for terminally ill children and he's putting that money in his pocket. He's scum. Absolute scum. He doesn't feel bad about what he's done. He'll probably carry on doing it.”

Ferris was handed a six month prison sentence suspended for two years and ordered to do 180 hours of unpaid community work at Canterbury Crown Court after pleading guilty to 15 counts of fraud totalling £8,180.

He blamed his crimes on his addiction to online gambling.

Mrs Salahi said: “I can't believe what the judge gave him. I'm just gobsmacked at what he's got. This was his life to do charities out of money. Every day I think about what this man has done.”

Detective Inspector Mark Fairhurst said: "While many people raise funds for good causes legitimately, Gary Ferris used money he had raised for charity to fund his gambling habits.

“His actions have caused distress to those who offered their premises in good faith and attended the events.”