A PHONE salesman's plan to top up his meagre wage by forging customer contracts backfired when he ended up in court.

Self-employed mobile phone salesman Brian Yarker, 59, forged customers' signatures at his office in Cellular City, Gateshead, Tyneside, which bound them to agreements they had not signed.

Newcastle Crown Court heard how Yarker forwarded the forged contracts to Hutchison Telecom, to gain commission.

But his scam was uncovered when customers realised that direct debits were coming out of their bank accounts.

Penny Moreland, prosecuting, said: "The amount of money he earned was determined by the amount of money brought in by the company."

The court heard how three different customers came forward in the summer of 1999 saying that their signatures had been forged.

Miss Moreland said: "Mr Yarker signed names of customers without them knowing or permitting him to do it."

Yarker, of Littleboy Drive, Thornaby, denied nine charges of forgery, in May and October 1999, and three charges of using a false instrument with intent, between May and July of the same year.

He claimed he thought that he had authorisations to sign the contracts for customers.

However, after a three-day trial, the jury found him guilty of all the charges, on a majority verdict.

He was fined £900 and ordered to pay £200 towards prosecution costs.