A TEIFI Valley man who falsely claimed that his £49,000 rally car had been stolen from outside his home has narrowly avoided jail.

Llyr Jones, of 2 Penrhiwcoynon, Drefach Felindre, appeared before Swansea Crown Court on Tuesday after previously pleading guilty to a charge of fraud by false representation.

The 35-year-old claimed a Ford Escort MK2 worth £49,000 had been stolen from his home address between 9 and 15 October last year.

At the time, Dyfed-Powys Police issued an appeal searching for the missing car, before Jones was eventually arrested on fraud charges, after it was revealed he had stripped the vehicle himself.

Jones was sentenced to 16 months in prison, suspended for two years and ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work.