Ex-Leeds Grammar School pupil David Wightman, 26, told pub landlord Gary Pawson that it would be "him and his family next time" unless his son Simon handed over the cash, Bradford Crown Court heard.

Wightman, a champion weightlifter who still holds the junior bench press world record, made the threats after Simon Pawson was freed from jail for stealing £28,000 from his former employer.

In a phone call to Gary Pawson, landlord of the George pub in Cleckheaton, Wightman claimed to have "bought the outstanding debt" of £26,000 despite no repayments being ordered by the courts.

Wightman, of Greenfield Crescent, Gildersome, then "put the frighteners on" Mr Pawson during a series of phone calls, the court heard.

Prosecuting, Simon Keeley said a brick was thrown through the family's kitchen window on July 21 last year.

A car belonging to Simon Pawson's wife was then torched outside the house on September 15.

Married dad-of-one Wightman, who pleaded guilty to blackmail, was jailed for two-and-a-half years on Friday.

Mitigating, Martin Sharpe said he "was going to be a valuable asset to the British powerlifting team" at the 2012 Olympics and described him as "the greatest weightlifting prospect Britain has ever had."

Judge James Goss QC said: "This was a relatively prolonged series of threats and actions of violence in order to extort a substantial amount of money and included damage to a house and destroying a car by fire.

"This offence is so serious that a prison sentence is unavoidable."

Mr Sharpe said Wightman had been offered £2,000 to collect the money by Simon Pawson's former employer, who was never charged.

Mr Sharpe told the court that Wightman had trained as an accountant and secured a placement with KPMG before returning to his old job as a nightclub doorman.

Mr Sharpe said: "There can be no doubt that he was at the forefront of what was going on.

"He made the calls and he was in attendance at the two major incidents. This was borne out of desperation by somebody who couldn't find a way out.

"The family was massively in debt and he made a stupid decision to become involved in this kind of offence."

He added: "He realises that he has let himself down and he wants to apologise publicly to everybody."