A newly-elected deputy mayor has been exposed as an internet dating conman who defrauded two women out of £48,000.
David King, 74, was jailed for four years over the fraud, which also saw him falsely claim to be former Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott’s cousin.
But he insisted he was a “changed man” after critics called for him to stand down from the council in Workington, Cumbria.
King says he paid back “every penny” he stole from two women in 2004.
Preston Crown Court heard he was “the epitome of charm”, dating five women at the same time but with as many as 30 victims. King met them through the Dating Direct website and promised to marry them.
He was also jailed for 21 months in 2002 for duping a woman out of £39,500 by claiming to run a nursery business.
More than 300 have signed a petition calling for the resignation of King and his wife Janet, who is the town’s mayor.
Allan Mitchell said: “David King is a conman who was twice convicted of swindling thousands of pounds from vulnerable women.
"His wife was fully aware of his criminality. None of this information was available to the public at local elections.”
Independent King – who wed Janet in 2008 – admitted he behaved “abysmally” in the past but added: “Now, if I walk out on the road and I find 50p I would pick it up and put it into the nearest charity box.”
