The owner of a Gwynedd bus company and his three sons are facing custodial sentences after faking passenger journeys to fiddle cash from a council.

The quartet used their family-run bus firm to claim money for thousands of passenger journeys that didn’t take place.

Eric Wyn Jones, 77, of Bontnewydd, near Caernarfon, was found guilty of conspiring to commit fraud by false representation and conspiracy to conceal criminal property.

His sons – Ian Wyn Jones, 53, of Penygroes; Keith Jones, 51, of Llanddaniel, Anglesey and Kevin Wyn Jones, 54, of Bontnewydd – were found guilty of fraud by false representation by instructing others to increase the number of concessionary passes swiped; excessively swiping concessionary cards and submitting false concessionary payments scheme claim forms to Gwynedd Council intending to make a financial gain.

During the trial, the court heard that in a 15-month period, more than £1.2 million was taken in cash by their bus company, Express Motors of Penygroes, Gwynedd. But only £690,000 was paid into the bank. The remainder was paid into personal bank accounts or used to pay bills.

The court heard the scam involved using lost or stolen concessionary bus passes to tot up bogus trips and then claim the cash from Gwynedd council.

Several bus passes, which allow free travel for the over 60s and others with certain disabilities, were reported lost to Gwynedd council but were used thousands of times.

One passenger told police he recalled losing his pass in August 2010.He was shocked to find it had been used 23,147 times between June 2012 and July 2014.

"There is no way I could have done so and I didn't because I didn't have it," he told officers.

All four men were told custodial sentences were inevitable, but were granted bail until a sentencing hearing due to be held before the end of October.