A man was yesterday jailed for handling stolen vehicles on three separate occasions.

Anthony Andrew McCauley, 27, was at the wheel in one case and was twice a passenger in stolen vehicles, between July and October last year.

Durham Crown Court heard one was a Mazda pick-up truck taken from an opencast mine near Shildon last July, while the owner worked just 50 yards away.

Victoria Lamballe, prosecuting, said McCauley's fingerprints were found in the truck when it was recovered, having been spotted by its owner while he was walking his dog -despite it having been given false registration plates.

McCauley was arrested after being seen by a passing police patrol car in Stockton, changing a tyre on a stolen Audi 4.

The car, also bearing false plates, was stolen in Spennymoor, County Durham.

While on bail for that offence, McCauley was arrested in October when attaching an allegedly stolen trailer to a Nissan Kingcab pick-up truck, in a compound in South Bank, Middlesbrough.

The truck was stolen from a farm near Ramshaw, in Teesdale, a fortnight earlier.

McCauley's fingerprints were found in the truck, again carrying false plates.

Nigel Soppitt, mitigating, said he has a bad record for motoring offences, explained by his interest in vehicles.

Mr Soppitt said he was "on the periphery" of an operation dealing in stolen cars, used as a driver and odd-job man.

McCauley, of Mansfield Avenue, Thornaby, Teesside, was jailed for 15 months after admitting handling stolen vehicles.