A ROGUE trader who threatened business owners when they refused to meet his inflated prices for laying new drives has been jailed for 15 months.

Traveller Joseph Kennedy, who sometimes claimed he was working for the Highways Agency, would cold call on his victims and charge vast sums for laying tarmac.

Tom Storey, prosecuting at Teesside Crown Court, said Kennedy threatened one man's wife and challenged his 17-year-old stepson to a fight when they disputed the work.

Another victim thought he was going to get a "good hiding".

A previous court hearing heard how Anne Richards, the owner of the Little Bistro cafe on the A1 near Leeming, North Yorkshire, whose complaint sparked the investigation, signed for 30 loads of material, but balked at his demands for between £11,000 and £15,000.

In another incident, the owners of factory units in Coventry agreed to pay £400 - only to be billed for £2,400.

Kennedy's threats included telling businesses he could move caravans on to their premises, effectively shutting them down, until they paid.

Kennedy, 40, from Doncaster, South Yorkshire, pleaded guilty to four blackmail offences between February and October 2004 and one of making a false statement under the Trade Descriptions Act.

Nigel Edwards, for Kennedy, said he had undertaken 160 jobs during the course of his business, including work for the BBC in Leeds, which was of "sufficient quality" and for which he was paid more than £23,000.

Mr Edwards said: "He may have chanced his arm in terms of the amount of money he was seeking, but disputes the fact that menaces might have been used and is clear that no violence was perpetrated."

Judge Peter Armstrong jailed Kennedy for a total of 15 months.

The judge said: "I hope your spell in custody will deter others from thinking this is an appropriate way of going about business."

Trading standards officer Ruth Taylor, who was commended by the judge for the investigation, said: "The message is very strong - the courts will not tolerate this behaviour and neither will North Yorkshire Trading Standards."

Miss Taylor said there were other victims, but they were too scared to give statements.

Two cars, a £125,000 Bentley and a £60,000 Mercedes, which were seized from him, form part of future proceeds of crime proceedings that could confiscate his profits.