A MAN has admitted that he lied to the police and his insurance company when he told them his car had been stolen.

In fact, John Bannister had asked a friend to store his car for him while he claimed more than £6,000 back from Churchill insurers.

But, overcome with guilt, the 40-year-old did not cash the cheque and says he has now sent it back to the company.

The Wilmott Avenue resident appeared at Warrington Magistrates' Court on Wednesday when he admitted a charge of obtaining property by deception.

Magistrates were told that he contacted Churchill on December 3 last year to tell them that his Land Rover had been stolen. He reported it in a declaration form then he received payment of £6,850.

On March 7 this year, Greater Manchester Police officers attended a farm in Wigan for another matter and during a search they found a Land Rover in a state of disrepair.

After checks, they discovered that the vehicle was showing up on the system as stolen and so the farm owner was arrested for theft.

During interview, he told the police that the defendant had asked him to store the vehicle on his farm.

Gary Heaven, defending, told the court: "It came about after he purchased this vehicle for a lot more than he claimed. It was not very long before things started to go wrong.

"The engine broke and he didn't have the money required for a new one and so some bright spark suggested he could report it as stolen.

"He says as soon as he put the phone down he regretted it and when the cheque arrived he didn't do anything with it."

He is to appear back before the court on September 6 after reports have been completed.