A man has been charged with fraud and money laundering offences over an alleged sewage scam in Plymouth.

The South East Regional Organised Crime Unit charged the 23-year-old man from Newhaven on Tuesday.

George Wickens, 23, of Iveagh Crescent, Newhaven, was charged with the conspiracy to commit fraud by making a false representation and conspiracy to conceal, disguise, convert, transfer or remove criminal property.

The charges relate to incidents between October 2013 and April 2014 when 34 victims were told their neighbour’s property had been flooded with raw sewage originating from under their property, which required specialist equipment to be hired and they needed to pay a returnable deposit.

The incidents took place across Surrey, Sussex, Hertfordshire, Plymouth and London.

George Wickens was remanded in custody to appear at Brighton Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, February 25.