Company boss 'still waiting for money' from Chesterfield's Wayne Hardy

Wayne Hardy when he was jailed in 2015. Picture by Andrew Price.

Steve Crofts, managing director of SMC Electrical, told the Derbyshire Times his company carried out 'extensive' work at a premises on Sheffield Road, Chesterfield, which Mr Hardy intends to open as a bar.

According to Mr Crofts, Mr Hardy owes him £5,046.

He said: "We've chased him several times but the money still hasn't materialised.

"We've received screenshots of bank transfers - although the money never reaches us.

"It's not good at all.

"We carried out a lot of work and we want paying."

The Derbyshire Times put Mr Crofts' concerns to Mr Hardy, who said he emailed us twice with his side of the story.

We never received the emails, however.

Last month, Mr Hardy, 37, of Sheffield Road, Chesterfield, pleaded guilty to one count of fraud which he committed in 2016.

The prosecuting solicitor described him as a 'prolific and professional conman'.

Speaking after the case, Mr Hardy said: "This offence happened a long time ago.

"I'm a changed man now - I've been working hard to turn my life around."

Mr Hardy committed that offence after leaving prison where he served time for a 'sophisticated' fraud which saw him pocket the wages of five made-up workers.

According to this 2015 report by Wales Online, Mr Hardy used the names of dead people from a local newspaper to create the aliases of the bogus employees.

Mr Hardy's bar, called Bar 413, is yet to open.

He previously said the nighspot was supposed to launch at the end of this month - but Chesterfield Borough Council has not received, let alone approved, a premises licence for the bar.