A landlady from St Albans and a bailiff have gone on trial accused of trying to evict tenants by conning them with fake court possession orders.

Dawn Webb, 49, of Lavender Crescent, St Albans, and Paul Walsh, 48, of Goosley Lane, East Ham, London, both deny two charges each, relating to properties in Harwich and Walton-on-the-Naze in Essex.

A  jury at Chelmsford Crown Court heard that Walsh allegedly handed a genuine interim possession order stamped by Barnet County Court to Webb who is accused of doctoring the document twice to get rid of two sets of tenants.

Webb is charged with two offences of fraud by false representation on December 29, 2011 in that she claimed the interim possession order was genuine.

Walsh is accused of two offences of making or supplying to Webb the order intending it be used to commit a fraud.

Prosecutor Scott Wainwright said Webb owned, or part-owned, the properties at 19 Kings Head Street, Harwich, and 202 Walton Road, Walton-on-the-Naze, where tenants Dietmar Zach and couple Nicholas Shelton and Danielle Corden, lived, respectively.

Mr Wainwright continued : "Webb got into dispute with two of her tenants, the victims of this alleged fraudulent activity. Webb and Walsh obtained an original interim possession order ordering the eviction of squatters and they then doctored the documents and served them on the victims to obtain their unlawful and fraudulent eviction."

He said Webb avoided paying a £600 court fee by the scam.

Walsh was working as a bailiff and had been involved in the case which the genuine Barnet court document related to in September 2011.

The co-defendants each blame the other, the jury heard.

Webb told police she mentioned to Walsh she wanted some tenants removed. She claimed Walsh provided her with two blank forms which she filled out, thinking they were genuine, and which she then served on her tenants.

"She filled the details in in the street when they were handed over to her by Walsh, thinking they were legally binding documents. He was wearing a stab vest with 'enforcer' across the front," said the prosecutor.

Walsh told police he handed over only the original, genuine document with all its details filled in and stamped, to show Webb the type of document she needed.

The trial continues.