A VAN driver who cheated mortgage lenders out of more than £500,000 has failed in an Appeal Court bid to clear his name.

Mark Lloyd posed as a company boss and vastly inflated his modest earnings in applications to lenders, enabling him to start up a small property empire.

The 36-year-old, of Maunby Gardens, Walkden, Manchester, was jailed for three-and-a-half years in January after being found guilty of seven counts of obtaining money by deception.

He challenged his convictions at London's Criminal Appeal Court, with his lawyers arguing they were “unsafe” because of the way the case was presented to the jury by the prosecution.

But his appeal was dismissed by three of the country's most senior judges, who said there were no grounds for challenging the convictions.

The judges also rejected an appeal against his sentence, saying three-and-a-half years was not excessive for his crimes.

Lord Justice Aikens told the court Lloyd was able to borrow £516,847 from mortgage lenders by lying about his occupation and his income on applications between 2004 and 2009.

He made false claims to buy and remortgage properties in Irlam, Chadderton, Moston and Little Hulton, which he then let out for profit.

In fact, he was unemployed until 2006, when he began working as a delivery driver — earning between £13,000 and £14,000 per year.

Dismissing his appeal, Lord Justice Aikens said his convictions were safe and that three-and-a-half years could not be regarded as too long for his crimes — in which society was the loser.

The judge, sitting with Mr Justice Singh and Judge Peter Rook QC, added: “These were matters that were fraudulent from the outset, they were carried out over a significant period of time and were frauds on a large scale.”