A GANG of car thieves is believed to have been targeting Lancashire businesses in a major car ringing operation.

Police have warned garages across the area to beware of the operation after they discovered a new system, never before seen in Lancashire, was being used to steal high value vehicles.

The vehicles, worth tens of thousands of pounds, vanished from seven garages in Burnley, Blackburn, Clitheroe and Preston.

The cars were taken on test drives but, at the end of the journey, the salesman was handed a dummy' key, allowing the real key for the vehicle to be stolen.

The cars were later stolen using the key and put through a ringing' process, where their identifying features were changed before they were sold to unsuspecting purchasers..

Mark Eggar, of Abraham Street, Blackburn, was jailed for 12 months at Preston Crown Court this week for six counts of theft in relation to the criems.

But police believe the vehicles were being stolen to order and believe he was now acting alone.

They are urging other garage owners who recognise Eggar to get in touch.

Garage bosses targted by Eggar said they had since reviewed their security procedures.

The court heard that Eggar, who was on the run for four months before police arrested him at his girlfriends home in Oswaldtwistle on Friday, was in debt and agreed to steal the keys for £500 a time.

Investigating officer PC Paul Fitzer, of Blackburn Police's auto crime unit, said: "It was a finger print left on one of the vehicles he had touched while at one of the garages which brought up Eggar's name.

"It's highly unlikely that he was acting alone as he would have needed somewhere to dispose of the vehicles which would have involved others.

"He failed to speak during interview so we are unclear as to how he was operating and how widespread this is. He may well have been operating as part of a gang."

Eggar's offences took place between April 19 and July 17 last year.

They involved four BWMs, an Audi TT Quattro, and a Land Rover Freelander, taken from Station Garage, Livesey Branch Road and T.H Motors, both Blackburn; Primrose Garage, Whalley Road, Clitheroe; Finsley Gate Service Station, Burnley and Rosehill Garage, also in Burnley.

PC Fitzer said there was an ongoing investigation looking into Eggar's financial records.

He added: "This may prove useful and provide us with new leads.

"In all my years working as a police officer I have never heard of anything like this.

"The crime was unique in the sense that he was swapping the keys with a dummy to be able to steal the cars.

"The investigation is ongoing and I would appeal to any garage owner who may have been targeted by this man in the past.

"It's likely that he did go to other garages. We would be keen to speak to anybody who may have been visited by this man to get in contact. People would remember this man as he was distinctive in his appearance and stood out as he was 6ft 6ins tall.

"The method he used was unique in that all my years of working as a police officer had I ever heard of anything like this."

Naeem Khan, joint owner of Finsley Gate Service Station, Burnley, whose garage was targeted by Eggar, said: "I remember the man still to this day.

"He said I will take that car' and sat in it for ages.

"He didn't actually drive anywhere in it he just turned the engine on.

"It was the next morning that we realised he meant what he said and had taken the car.

"It was unbeliveable I have never heard of anything like this happening.

"We didn't get the car back but as soon as this happened we installed 24-hour CCTV at the garage."