A CALLOUS conman who swindled £164,000 from his neighbours in York, has been ordered to pay them back an "insulting" £1.

Football fraudster Paul Garland, who was jailed for two-and-a-half years in January, was back before Judge Paul Hoffman for a hearing to recover some of the £210,674 he gained from crime.

But York Crown Court heard the wheeler-dealer, who claimed he had been organising soccer transfer deals between Premiership clubs, had nothing but debts.

The defendant - who once stepped in to help refinance Leeds United - was ordered to pay a token compensation of £1 to victims Brian and Philippa Manley - who branded the money "insulting".

"It's bad to think we're getting only £1," said Mr Manley. "But the court had to do it because it means if they find any money in future, he will have to repay us."

Garland lived next door to the Manleys in Balfour Way, Strensall, and befriended them in 2000 before duping them into handing over money to invest in Lloyds underwriters Houlder Insurance Services Ltd - a real firm with no connection to Garland. The 40-year-old told the Manleys they would receive a 30 per cent return in 12 months.

But the conman squandered the cash on his luxury lifestyle, driving a Porsche 911 and a Range Rover, lavishing £2,000 a week on his girlfriend and spending thousands on holidays in Florida, Mauritius and a villa in Monaco.

John Edward, prosecuting at yesterday's two-minute confiscation hearing, said: "It is agreed that the benefit to Mr Garland has been a sum of £210,674.02, but an investigation has shown that he has left behind nothing but debts."

Judge Hoffman, pictured, agreed for £1 to be given to the Manleys - so that if investigators find Garland has other cash stashed away it can also be handed over.

Garland conned the Manleys, who have two grown-up children, saying his company Finance For Sport Worldwide was booming and offered the couple the chance to invest.

The defendant, who later moved to Hale in Cheshire, was once a sports investment broker associated with Leeds United, but told them his firm was financing transfer deals with top-flight clubs including Liverpool, Dundee United, Manchester City and QPR.

"Everywhere he goes he just causes misery," said Mr Manley, a printer. "He has made people's lives hell and we came to court to find out what would happen to him.

"But we'd already been told that the people looking into his finances had not found any money.

"We had to remortgage our house and we were hoping to keep it, but we may have to think about selling now.

"Our life savings have gone - but Garland has got nothing but huge debts because he just spent it all until there was nothing left."