A Walter Mitty conman obsessed with the emergency services launched his own ambulance service and transported patients dressed as a paramedic.

Audacious Terence Cooper has an astonishing history of impersonating police officers, donning uniform, checking cars and turning up at accidents.

A Crown Court Judge has also described him as a menace to society, capable of causing great damage to Britain's security.

He was jailed in 1994 after he used a fake police warrant card to obtain a high-powered transceiver to tune into wavelengths used by police, the MoD, the US Air Force and the security services.

He listened to confidential messages about security surrounding Royal events, and then sold the information to tabloid newspapers.

When he appeared before York Crown Court to be sentenced for his ambulance deceptions, his barrister Simon Bickler claimed his crimes could be caused by a mental disorder.

Judge Rodney Grant agreed to postpone sentence while he is assessed by a psychiatrist.

Cooper, 36, formerly of Wigginton Road, York, who moved to Somerset and now lives at a secret address, admitted a string of deceptions in April, but sentence has been delayed repeatedly for medical reports.

Mr Bickler said that Cooper could receive a community rehabilitation order with a condition to undergo psychiatric treatment instead of a prison sentence for his York deceptions.

He added that the conman hopes to study law and French at Bristol University.

It emerged that his history of impersonation and con tricks has landed him with prison sentences before.

After moving to York he set up the "Yorkshire Regional Ambulance Service" from his rented home.

With a website boasting that the service provided a 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, transport service to patients and hospitals and wearing paramedic uniform, he persuaded a series of top manufacturers that he represented the public ambulance service and was lent a series of executive cars to test drive.

He falsely claimed that he worked for the ambulance service to obtain emergency telephone services and to avoid rental payments on various vehicles, between December 2000 and October 2002.

A spokesman for Tees, East and North Yorkshire Ambulance Service (TENYAS) said yesterday: "We take a very dim view of anyone posing as a paramedic, which potentially has very serious consequences."