A conman who tried to make money by claiming his family died in the Grenfell tower fire has pleaded guilty to fraud.

Anh Nhu Nguyen, 52, was given £15,000 as well as hotel accommodation, food, clothing and laptops after he said his wife and son died in the fire.

Nguyen was arrested and charged on June 28, after other Grenfell residents and housing workers raised concerns about his story.

He had actually been living in Beckenham and had never lived in Grenfell.

Nguyen appeared at Southwark Crown Court today (November 2). He plead guilty to two counts of fraud by false representation and one count of making an untrue statement to obtain a passport.

Kate Mulholland from the Crown Prosecution Service said: “Nguyen’s deceit in the aftermath of such a catastrophic loss of life was breath-taking.

“He was willing to lie again and again, adapting his story when it was questioned, in order to profit from the huge aid efforts and outpouring of sympathy for true victims.

“At one point he claimed to have lived in a flat where the sole occupant had died. He also gave TV interviews in which he described the harrowing experience of escaping from the flat he had lived in for 20 years and losing his wife and son.

“CCTV showed that the day after the fire he was at a housing charity nine miles away in Whitechapel appearing happy and light hearted, and his mobile phone was located at his home in Beckenham.

“The selfishness and manipulation Nguyen showed has horrified those whose job it is to help the true victims of Grenfell Tower.”

DC James Tauber, the investigating officer, said: "Nguyen’s fraud was designed to make sure he profited from the support intended for the true victims of the tragic Grenfell Tower fire.

“He went to great lengths to fabricate an elaborate story about his escape from the tower.”

Detective Chief Inspector Matthew Bonner said: “The distress and suffering caused to so many that night in June is harrowing. People lost their homes, all their possessions and tragically their families and loved ones.

“Not only did Nguyen take money, housing and clothing intended for genuine victims, he diverted police time and resources away from those who most needed it.

“We will investigate anyone who we think is fraudulently profiting from the tragic fire at Grenfell Tower.”