A mother-of-three who sold fake tickets to Disneyland to her pals has been convicted of fraud - but has dodged jail.

Ellie Catchesides, 28, of Eltham, south east London, sold the dodgy tickets on Facebook to four friends.

One of the woman had been friends with Catchesides for 15 years and others were mothers at the same school as her children.

The parent had told pals that she had bought tickets to Disneyland Paris but that she could not make the trip and offered to sell the tickets on at cut-price rates.

Ellie Catchesides (pictured on holiday) sold the dodgy tickets on Facebook to four friends

Catchesides (shown) admitted four counts of fraud during a hearing at Woolwich Crown Court

In all she scammed four people, including pal Jade Miller, who handed over £950, and Rebecca Tomlin, who paid £550 for tickets to Disneyland Paris.

When Ms Miller realised she had been conned she set up a Facebook and JustGiving group for victims of the fraud.

Her evidence was eventually used at Woolwich Crown Court, where Catchesides admitted four counts of fraud.

Ms Miller said: 'At first my friend thought it was just me it happened to but upon looking further into it I have found that I am not alone.

'On one occasion a family turned up on the day ready to travel to Disneyland with children in tow to discover the heart-breaking truth.'

In a statement to the court, Ms Miller wrote the Catchesides had targeted 'hard-working families struggling to get by who are responsive to good deals' and that her kids were 'very disappointed' not to be going to Disneyland.

In all Cathesides (shown) scammed four people, including pal Jade Miller, who handed over £950, and Rebecca Tomlin, who paid £550 for tickets to Disneyland Paris.

The court heard of her children's 'disappointment at being told that their holiday to Disneyland was not now taking place'.

Catchesides, who said she faces having to move out of Eltham as she was 'scared to leave her home', claimed at first that she was herself a victim of a scam, but eventually admitted the fraud.

She was sentenced to complete 140 hours of unpaid work.

Judge Andrew Lees told her: 'You sold fake trips to people who no doubt work hard and were hoping they had a chance to go on holiday that might be enjoyable for them and their family.

'But it turned out you were committing a mean and dishonest offence against them and there was some persistence in what you were doing.'