THE owner of a 4x4 parts company has admitted handling stolen goods.

Lee Hall, 35, pleaded guilty to receiving four stolen Land Rovers at his North West 4x4 Ltd repair and service company in St Ives Road, Blackburn.

In December 2009, police raided his well-established business after an anonymous tip-off.

They brought in the specialist stolen vehicle squad who identified several 4x4 vehicles worth almost £30,000, stolen from Staffordshire, West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester.

One of the vehicles found at Hall’s parts firm, a £10,000 Freelander, was stolen was stolen from a driveway in Manchester after the owner left the engine running while moving a bin. Two dogs in the car were later found abandoned and injured.

Vehicle Squad Detective Sergeant Simon Ingham said the majority of the business was legitimate and Hall said it had been a one-off delivery.

DS Ingham said: “At the time Land Rover thefts were high right across the north of England. At least one criminal outlet was receiving these vehicles. He was probably one of several.”

Detectives believe Hall paid an organise crime gang for the cars so that he could strip them down to parts and sell them on at a profit.

The four Land Rovers, stolen from a mix of rural and urban locations, were not in his company account books.

DS Ingham said: “The role of the handler is pivotal to any crime spree. Without the handler, there’s no theft.

“To people who think it isn’t serious and turn a blind eye to a bargain, several of these victims have suffered enormous financial loss and emotional turmoil.”

Hall, of Barlow Street, Accrington, will be sentenced next month.