Churchgoers lose pounds 1,000s to trickster; MANHUNT.Byline: RICHARD SMITH A CONMAN who poses as a church official to trick worshippers out of money is being hunted by police. Mark Rhodes Mark Thomas Rhodes (born September 11, 1981 in Darlaston, Metropolitan Borough of Walsall, England) is a British pop singer and television presenter. Career Mark finished in second place in the second season of Pop Idol in the UK, runner-up to Michelle McManus. , 25, is said to have taken thousands of pounds from parishioners. He follows them home then claims he is collecting money for the diocese DIOCESE, eccl. law. The district over which a bishop exercises his spiritual functions. 1 B1. Com. 111. . Once he allegedly took pounds 200 from a 73-year-old after telling her the priest had asked for the money. He is believed to have struck in Devon Devon (dĕv`ən), county (1991 pop. 1,008,300), 2,591 sq mi (6,711 sq km), SW England. The county town is Exeter. Devon is bounded on the N by the Bristol Channel, on the S by the English Channel, and on the W by Cornwall. , Lincolnshire, Edinburgh and the Grampian area. He has a Scottish accent and uses the name Mark Banks. Insp Andy Oliver, of Devon and Cornwall police, said: "He pretends to be connected to the church then cons parishioners." CAPTION(S): WANTED Mark Rhodes |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion