A rogue eBay trader was busted with a stash of fur coats made from critically endangered animals such as snow leopard, clouded leopard, lynx and wolf.

Timothy Norris pleaded guilty to selling the coats and other accessories including scarves made from wild cats on the online market site but escaped jail

Detectives from the Metropolitan Police's Wildlife Crime Unit found Norris was offering the fur coats for sale under the name of 'DianaGrant77.'

And when they raided his home in Epsom, Surrey they discovered the 24 fur items the majority coats made from ocelots, snow leopards, clouded leopards, wolves and a lynx.

Norris, 40, needed a special permit to sell the fur but failed to provide the permit when police made their raid.

He was charged in June this year with one count of possession and one count of sale of fur relating to endangered species.

Another count of illegal export without permits was brought against the trader - contrary to the Customs & Excise Management Act 1979.

Coats made from these species may be legally traded without permits if made before March 1947.

The seller must hold an Article ten certificate issued by a CITES Management Authority if bought after this time.

But the coats sold by Norris were of a 'fairly recent origin' and he held no valid certificates - making his sales illegal.

Norris was given a 200 hour community service order at Croydon Magistrates Court on Thursday.

DC Sarah Bailey, from the Met's Wildlife Crime Unit, said: "Offenders like Norris are helping to fuel the illegal wildlife trade.

"Leopards, snow leopards and clouded leopard populations are assessed as vulnerable in the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red list and any trade outside the legal framework could threaten the conservation status of remaining wild populations.

"The Met's Wildlife Crime Unit are committed to ensuring that anyone in London trading illegally in endangered animal fur garments, is caught.

"There are laws in place to protect endangered species and I would urge anyone who sees fur coats from protected wildlife for sale to contact police."