A FRAUDSTER who posed as a Grenfell Tower survivor to rack up a £40,000 bill at a luxury hotel was today jailed for six years.

Derrick Peters, 58, was given a room at the four star Park Grand Hotel, where real survivors were housed, after he claimed he lived with a friend who died in the blaze.

He then admitted a burglary while living in the hotel, before begging a judge for leniency because of the fire.

Peters falsely claimed to have lived with Steve Power who died in the fire and to have lost his best friend and all his possessions.

He returned to the hotel, where he stayed for seven months and racked up a £40,000 bill including room service.

Jailing Peters for six years at Isleworth Crown Court, Judge Robin Johnson branded him "utterly disgraceful".

He said: "The facts of the Grenfell Tower fire tragedy are well known.

"The effect on those who died, their families and friends, cannot be imagined by those who were not directly affected.

"Members of the public, indeed the nation, were shocked by this dreadful event.

"The fact that the unscrupulous sought to enrich themselves with accommodation, room service and money is the more shocking in the light of the outpouring of grief and sympathy that followed the disaster.

"It must have been particularly abhorrent for Rebecca Ross. She was the daughter of Mr Steve Power who was a resident who died in the fire.

"You claimed to have been living with Mr Power and his family at the time of the fire. This was a blatant lie."

Peters, wearing glasses, a grey sweater and white collared shirt, showed little emotion as he was read the sentence.

The judge added: “Your conduct from June of last year was utterly disgraceful.

“Your behaviour after the fraud was active can only be described as reaching such depths as any right-minded member of the public would find repulsive."

While staying in the hotel, between June 28 2017 and January 2018, Peters burgled jewellery, electronics and sentimental items worth £3,000 from a flat in West London.

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The brazen crook then admitted the thefts and was given a lenient community sentence because the court thought he was a victim of the fire.

He was only caught out when council officers realised the flat number he gave did not exist and he was not seen at the tower in any CCTV footage.

Peters pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud by false representation and perverting the course of justice at an earlier hearing.

He was handed a sentence of 12 months to run consecutive to the five year sentence for the fraud offences.