A crooked estate agent has been ordered to pay more than £11,000 to landlords and tenants he swindled.

Sanjit Alangh, 26, of Tempest Mead in North Weald, received a suspended prison sentence of 12 months and banned from being a company director for five years after appearing at Chelmsford Crown Court on Thursday.

He admitted defrauding clients while director of letting agency The Rent Team Limited in Harlow between June 2012 and June 2013.

Alangh failed to pass on rent payments and defrauded tenants by breaking the law when handling tenants’ deposits.

He was ordered to pay compensation of £11,000 to 11 victims and £5,000 costs.

Alangh was also ordered to do 120 hours of unpaid work.

Cllr Roger Walters, Essex County Council lead member for trading standards, said: “I hope this successful prosecution will discourage other people from flouting the law like this.

“Many people lost hundreds of pounds as a result of Mr Alangh’s bad practice.

“Trading standards advice to anyone renting from a private landlord is to check your tenancy agreement for the tenancy deposit protection scheme that your deposit is meant to be registered with and contact them.”