A SERIAL conman, who stole from 50 elderly people, has been jailed for eight years.

John Lee Benson, 42, of Sedgefield Close, Salford, pretended to be from the water board and tricked his way into homes across Greater Manchester.

His crime spree reached as far as Bury, Whitefield, Offerton, Sale, Altrincham, Wigan and Leigh.

The average age of his victim was 86. The eldest was 96.

At Manchester Crown Court, Benson pleaded guilty to eight counts of burglary, one attempted burglary and one of robbery.

He asked for 40 other burglaries to be considered.

He was caught when a bead of sweat was found on the wheelchair of one of his victims, and it matched his DNA.

He was targeting the elderly and vulnerable almost every day for six months to feed his £120-a-day crack and heroin addiction.

Sentencing Benson, Judge Bernard Lever condemned his `disgraceful conduct', adding that on two occasions, he had used `sickening, cruel violence' to get his hands on cash - by pushing over one elderly victim and removing another from her chair, even though she had a broken leg.

Co-accused, Robert Joseph Lusty, 38, of Portland Street, Ashton-under-Lyne, was jailed for four years for one count of robbery and one of burglary.