A CLEANING firm employee drove off in company owned car while he and workmates were in Wrexham.

Blackburn magistrates heard Jordan James Maddocks had been given the keys by the authorised user but accepted he would never have been allowed to drive the car because he didn't hold a licence.

And he admitted filling up with fuel when he got back to Blackburn by claiming he had forgotten the company fuel card.

Maddocks, 25, of Bolton Road, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to unauthorised taking of a motor vehicle belonging to Symclean International Ltd, driving without a licence or insurance and making off without paying for fuel.

He was made subject to a community order for 12 months with 150 hours' unpaid work and ordered to pay £50 compensation, £85 costs and £85 victim surcharge.

Parveen Akhtar, prosecuting, said Tania Targett, a director of Symclean, said Maddocks and other employees had access to the car but only one of them was allowed to drive it.

At 6am she received a phone call to say the car was missing along with Maddocks and another employee.

"When she contacted the police she was told the vehicle had already left North Wales," said Miss Akhtar.

"She was informed it was at the defendant's home address and some other employees went round and got the keys off his mum."

She said when Maddocks filled up with fuel he gave the company name and his own name.

Gareth Price, defending, said the car wasn't taken without the permission of the person who had control of it on the day.

"The employee who had the keys voluntarily handed them to my client and his associate," said Mr Price.

"He accepts the owner of the company would never have allowed him to use it and however he came into possession of the keys he should not have been driving."