A FORMER nightclub boss turned "bent" car dealer was today starting a nine month jail term.

Burnley Crown Court heard how Mark Dieter Ruge, 29, who formerly owned the Arena nightclub in Burnley, turned to dodgy dealings when he was in debt and was caught driving around in a stolen £14,000 Land Rover Discovery.

He had another stolen car in a lock-up garage and was involved in selling a vehicle which had a false MoT certificate.

Judge Raymond Bennett said the only good thing that could be said about Ruge was that he had owned up.

He told Ruge, who had never been to custody before, he was a bent car dealer.

He went on: "It may have had its origins in murky happenings, but bent you were."

Ruge, then of Bird Street, Brierfield, and now living in Washington Street, Accrington, admitted two counts of handling stolen goods and one of using a false instrument with intent to deceive. Tim Brennand, prosecuting, said the Land Rover was stolen in November 1999 and in January, Ruge was stopped driving it.

The vehicle had different plates and he told police he had bought it for £4,000 just before Christmas.

When police searched Ruge's home, they found a key to a lock-up garage in Colne. Inside it, officers found a £9,000 Peugeot 106, belonging to a teacher, taken from outside a sports centre in Nelson.

Ruge suggested he had come across the car in the garage and had kept it for safe keeping while deciding what to do with it.

Ken Hind, defending, said Ruge deeply regretted his involvement but had got himself into financial difficulties after the collapse of the Arena had left him with a lot of debts.

Ruge was under a great deal of pressure and while he was dealing in cars mostly legitimately, he closed his eyes to the obvious.

Mr Hind said the second hand car business brought Ruge into contact with people of "doubtful veracity."

He bought the Discovery for £4,000, thought it was worth about £7,000 to £8,000 and realised there was probably something not quite right about it.

He had not changed the number plates, and it was in that state when he received the vehicle.

When Ruge realised the vehicle was not what it appeared to be, he hung on to it.

Mr Hind said Ruge received a phone call telling him there was a present in the garage in Colne and he went there and found the Peugeot.

Mr Hind went on: "He foolishly hung on to it instead of driving it around to the police station and dumping it there and then ringing them up."