A TICKET to jail beckons for the owner of a bus company and his three sons for faking passenger journeys to fiddle cash from a council.

Judge Timothy Petts told them at Caernarfon crown court on Tuesday: "You have been found guilty by the jury of serious charges in relation to the fleecing of the local authority by submitting false claims for concessionary bus passes and in conspiring together to launder money from Express Motors.

"There's only one sentence that can be imposed for offences of this nature and that is a custodial sentence."

The four, who each denied two fraud charges, are owner 77-year-old Eric Wyn Jones of Bontnewydd, near Caernarfon, and sons Ian, 53, Keith, 51, and Kevin, 54, who also live locally. A fifth man, bus driver Rheinallt Williams, 44, living locally, has pleaded guilty.

The jury was out for twelve hours during three days before bringing back unanimous verdicts. The four were bailed to be sentenced later after probation reports have been prepared.

Tens of thousands of pounds were involved in the scam and the jury was told that one concessionary over-60s pass had been used 23,000 times.

The judge had told the jury they had to consider whether there was a deliberate fraud or just "mistakes."

Claims for the fake journeys had been made to Gwynedd council, which then reclaimed the cash from the Welsh Government under the all-Wales concessionary travel scheme.