A GANG of "Costa del Crime" fraudsters have been convicted of preying on hundreds of British pensioners in a £20m share con.

Mastermind George Abrue and his “boiler room” team of eight funded lavish lifestyles by persuading vulnerable victims to part with their savings in exchange for non-existent assets.

The case can be reported after Abrue’s wife and mother-in-law were found guilty of assisting the multi-million pound criminal operation.

Abrue was caught after a covert operation involving City of London detectives.

His wife, Sarah Robson, 28, of Harwood Drive, Houghton-le-Spring, and mother-in-law, Jocelyn Cowper, 57, of Esthwaite, Washington, Wearside, were convicted at Newcastle Crown Court six weeks after Abrue, 30, was jailed for five years. The women are awaiting sentence.

Six members of Abrue’s gang were jailed at Harrow Crown Court in May.

His main partners, Scott Henderson, 31, of Morgan Street, Southwick, Sunderland, and Anton Deach, 25, of Manchester, received five-year and four-year jail terms respectively.

Abrue, an Nigerian immigrant based in Newcastle, used fraudulent brokers to push shares in what they claimed were emerging mineral and bio-fuel companies about to float on the stock market.

The reality was that victims were buying into fictitious companies. Their money was being laundered through Swedish and Italian bank accounts for Abrue and his associates.

Babatunde Aluko, 29, of Surrey, and Sam Hamed, 25, of Byland Court, Washington, were each jailed for three years and nine months.

Dean Hamilton, 26, of Cleeve Court, Washington, was sentenced to three years and Mark Brannan, 28, of Arlington Avenue, Newcastle, is serving 18 months, all for charges of conspiracy to defraud and money laundering.