A Cricket official is facing jail after he admitted running a sporting scam which swindled people out of hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Adrian Voss, vice-chairman of the Dorchester and District Evening Cricket League and former manager of Weymouth Cricket Club, pleaded guilty to 20 offences, including deception, forgery and theft, when he appeared at Winchester Crown Court yesterday.

The offences, which stretch back four years and involve victims from across Dorset and Hampshire, relate to Voss promising big profits on sporting memorabilia deals in exchange for cash, the court was told.

Voss then forged a number of cheques, one for as much as £520,000, on his wife Christine's account in a bid to cover himself.

Victims named in the charges included Adrian Aymes, David Walker, Mark Stanley, Graham McCoy, Hadyn White and Warren and Deborah Priestley.

An offence of theft and of using a false instrument relate to the Dorchester and District Evening Cricket League.

The Crown asked for a further 10 charges which Voss had denied, including deception, forgery and theft of equipment, to lie on file.

Voss, father of two teenage children, and formerly of Cromwell Road, Dorchester, was arrested earlier this year in Winchester following a dispute with one of his victims.

The court was told that Voss was suffering significant health problems including heart problems, diabetes and depression.

Judge Michael Brodrick called for a pre-sentence report and told Voss: "Sentencing options are being left open but in view of the amount of money involved, a custodial sentence is almost inevitable.

"Don't be under any illusion by the fact that I'm ordering a report and granting you bail. It gives you no indication of the final outcome."

Voss was granted bail on the condition that he does not contact witnesses, lives and sleeps at an address in Dorchester, reports regularly to Dorchester police station and does not go near his former home in Cromwell Road. He will be sentenced on November 12.