A Suffolk letting agent who stole nearly £70,000 from landlords appears to have misled a court into believing he was a qualified member of a professional body.

When barely literate Roy Jackson was jailed for 20 months at Ipswich Crown Court it was claimed he had passed his exams for the “Association of Letting Agents” with the help of an educational psychologist.

Judge Peters Assistant Judge Advocate General then told Jackson: “You are quite frankly a dishonest man and there’s no getting around that. Should the Association of Letting Agents have certified you? Probably not.”

However, the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) has said Jackson, formerly of Goodwood Close, Ipswich, actually failed his exams.

The organisation stressed the 39-year-old conman’s company Suffolk Lettings in St Peter’s Street, Ipswich, was never an ARLA member.

Its managing director David Cox said: “ARLA can confirm that Roy Jackson is not, and never has been, a member of ARLA.

“Although Roy did attempt to gain ARLA membership, he never passed the examination process and therefore did not receive the qualification level required for membership. Despite this, it seems that unfortunately Roy Jackson has falsely been trading as an ARLA agent, when he is in fact not.

“This would explain why his tenants’ and landlords’ money was not secure. ARLA agents are covered by a Client Money Protection Scheme, and also a mandatory redress scheme which gives the consumer an added level of protection when something, such as this, goes wrong.

“This is also the reason that ARLA wasn’t able to warn landlords. As Roy Jackson was not an official member, we were unaware of his activities.

“If tenants have any doubt as to the authenticity of ARLA membership belonging to an agent, we urge them to contact ARLA who will be able to clarify and investigate this.

“The case of Roy Jackson reiterates the need for regulation within the property sector.

“The industry is currently not regulated. Anyone is able to open trade as a lettings agent or landlord, which clearly presents a number of risks as highlighted by this case, whereby thousands of pounds worth of customers’ money has been stolen.

“If the industry was fully regulated, Roy Jackson would never have been able to abscond with this money.”