The family of a decorated war hero have slammed his son who has been jailed for defrauding his 85-year-old mother of half-a-million pounds.

Shamed Michael Pain, 52, took charge of Lady Denys Sophia Pain's life savings when his father, Lieutenant-General Sir Rollo Pain, who was awarded the Military Cross for incredible bravery in the final weeks of the Second World War, died of cancer in 2004.

Married Pain was entrusted with all her financial affairs, but immediately started systematically syphoning his elderly mother's cash into his own account to rescue his failing business and keep up with mortgage payments.

Pain, of Eddlethorpe, North Yorks., was jailed for three years at York Crown Court on Friday.

The fraud totalled 460,150 pounds and 35 pence and Pain was finally arrested in January 2009.

He admitted five counts of fraud by abuse of position, two counts of obtaining money by deception and one of theft at a previous hearing.

Sister Audrey Mahony said: "My father was a wonderful man, he would be turning in his grave if he knew this had happened."