AN AYR man has appeared in court charged with defrauding two of South Ayrshire’s top hotels to the tune of £3,500.

Calum McLean denied charges of defrauding Trump Turnberry last November and Glenapp Castle near Ballantrae last month when he appeared at Ayr Sheriff Court.

The 27-year-old is accused of impersonating another person by presenting and using a debit card at Trump Turnberry in someone else’s name on November 17 last year.

He faces a further accusation of staying at Glenapp Castle on February 3 and then leaving without paying.

Court papers claim that he induced staff at Trump Turnberry to provide him with a hotel suite, a round of golf, £100 in cash and a bottle of alcohol by fraudulently using the card.

Prosecutors alleged that he ran up a bill of £1,614 at the hotel by fraudulent means.

Mr McLean, of Carcluie Crescent, faces a second charge of pretending to staff at Glenapp Castle that he was a paying guest.

This charge alleges that he induced staff to believe he would settle his account on departure, and that they provided room, food, beverages and transfer costs which the prosecution claims Mr McLean then did not pay.

The Crown’s complaint claims this alleged fraud totalled £1,886.65.

Mr McLean’s solicitor, Simon Brown, told a short hearing that his client was pleading not guilty to both charges.

Bail was granted under standard conditions and Mr McLean will return to court to face the allegations at a later date.