A man has been found guilty of switching the number plates from a damage car to his own vehicle and filling up at a BP service station before driving off without paying. Not only that he drove the wrong way up a busy road, which in itself is enough to get him in trouble.

The man David Denton aged 18, pleaded guilty to the charges for fraud and driving without due care and attention.

The incident happened in North Sefton, in Wales where staff at the service station noticed the driver of Ford Fiesta behaving strangely, but as they attempted to find out what he was doing, this was when he got into the car and drove off.

The whole incident was captured on CCTV, including him driving up the wrong way of duel carriageway and almost colliding with an n coming vehicle.

The number plates were traced by the police and it turns out they belonged to a Mr H Denton, whose car had been involved in an accident a couple of days earlier.

Prosecutor Anne Bishop said, “The defendant was recognised on CCTV by police officers who had spoken to him a couple of days previously in connection with a drugs investigation.

“In an interview he admitted changing the plates for the purpose of making off with fuel.”

Chairman of the bench, David Roberts, said: “This is a serious matter which could also have caused an accident. But I get the impression from your demeanour that you are not particularly of that view.”

David Denton was sentenced to do a hundred and ten hours of community service over the next year and pay BP compensation of £34.26 f6r the fuel and costs of £65.

Source [Formby Times]