A HARD-nosed door-to-door salesman who lived a lavish lifestyle by conning old aged pensioners - including two women from south Trafford - was ordered to pay back almost £80,000.

An investigation led by Sale area police culminated in Barry Neale and his wife Amanda being arrested at their £400,000 house in Gatley in February, with their bags packed ready to go to the airport.

Barry Neale, aged 47, forced vulnerable women to buy shoddy home security equipment by using hard sell tactics, then aggression if they refused to pay up.

He would pose as a Homewatch officer and scare his victims - some aged in their 90s - by telling them they would be burgled if they failed to buy his goods. Inquiries revealed he had set up dodgy firms using the identity of a former girlfriend who died of cancer in 1984.

Last week at Minshull Street Crown Court, he was said to have benefited to the tune of £326,333 but was ordered to pay back £60,390 as profits of his crimes plus a further £15,372 in compensation. He will face a further two years in jail if he fails to pay up.

Amanda, 45, was ordered to repay a nominal £1 after Judge Andrew Lowock ruled she had benefited to the tune of £324,333.

At the August hearing the court heard Neale found his victims by using a laptop to trawl the electoral roll to find old-fashioned names. He would then offer them video entry systems.

Neale visited Sale resident Ruth Tomlinson, aged 79, in March 2005. Ruth had speech and learning difficulties and used a stroller to help her get around. She had a telephone and video intercom box fixed to her living room wall for a number of years. Homewatch moved the unit to another wall in the same room.

Her nephew discovered five cheques for a total of £2,522 were cashed from his aunt's account over a three-month period. Ruth died unexpectedly from a stroke a few months later.

Another victim was Ashton-on-Mersey resident Frances Waldron, aged 90, who was visited by Neale in October 2005. Neale told Frances that he was from Crimewatch.

He attempted to sell her a video entry security system despite the elderly lady repeatedly telling him that she was almost blind and wouldn't be able to use the system or even see the screen.

Frances later told officers that due to his persistent pressure sales tactics she felt ready to lie down and die' and signed a sales order to get rid of him.

Police discovered he used the money to finance a fleet of cars including a Porsche Boxter, a Jaguar S-type, a BMW and a Mini Cooper plus a £400,000 house he shared with his wife Amanda.

Last August Barry Neale, was jailed for four years after he admitted fraudulent trading, deception, obtaining and using a false passport and money laundering His wife was given a 12-month sentence, suspended for 18 months after she admitted fraudulent trading, deception and money laundering.