An Isle of Wight man has told PA News Agency his dreams of spending his retirement in Spain and leaving money for his children were dashed when he was sucked into a scam.

Stephen O’Reilly, 61, was a Doncaster-based miner for 14 years and now lives on the Island, working in a bookmaker to support himself.

Around nine years ago, he transferred £114,000 after being told he was getting a bad deal on his current pension. He believed the advice had come from an independent Government pension adviser and it was not until he came to claim his pension that he found out it had been a scam.

On Friday, April 22, Alan Barratt, 62, of Althorne, Essex, and Susan Dalton, 66, of Rochdale, Lancashire, were jailed at Southwark Crown Court, for their roles in a £13.7 million scam in which 245 victims were defrauded.

Isle of Wight County Press: Southwark Crown Court, where Barratt and Dalton were jailed. (Photo: Google Maps).Southwark Crown Court, where Barratt and Dalton were jailed. (Photo: Google Maps).

Islander Mr O’Reilly had been expecting a lump sum of cash and had ordered a car. He was left desperately trying money to pay for it and had to borrow from his mother.

He said: "They’ve ruined my life. I’m just depressed all the time because I know I’m going to have to work the rest of my life because there’s no money there.

"I was going to move to Spain but I can’t now because I haven’t got any money to move in the first place. I would have to get a job and have enough money to fund myself while I’m finding [one].

"I averaged probably 80 hours a week [at work] and I was putting a lot more money into my pension than anybody else that was there and now it’s all gone.”