A BOSS who made bogus insurance claims after burglaries at his builder's yard tried to hide plant machinery by burying it underground.

But two major insurers refused to believe Thomas Jennings, who runs J & M Construction in Manchester Road, Dunnockshaw, Burnley, and launched their own investigations into the break-ins, the town's crown court was told.

Insurance investigators discovered two large earth breakers, worth £12,000, buried nearly two metres underground.

Jennings, of Haslingden, claimed they had been stolen, the court was told.

Peter Horgan, prosecuting, said the defendant initially reported a burglary on May 27, 2006, in which he said property worth £66,000 had been stolen.

But his insurers at that time, Zurich International, became suspicious as all of the property had apparently been taken from just one container at the premises.

Zurich refused to renew his insurance policy, in November 2006, while they made inquiries into the claim, so Jennings took out another policy with Norwich Union.

On December 5 that year, he again reported a burglary and made a claim for £26,000 in relation to plant machinery supposedly taken during the raid.

Insurance investigators called in the police and Jennings was questioned about the missing equipment - he maintained it had been stolen.

Mr Horgan said: "Items were found when the land (at J & M) was excavated, particularly large breakers worth £12,000. These were found buried two metres under the earth."

Plant machinery totalling £25,000 was found to have been overclaimed for, after the separate Zurich and Norwich Union policies were studied.

Jennings, 41, of Fields Road, Haslingden, admitted two offences of attempting to obtain property by deception and was fined £5,000 with £560 costs.

Passing sentence, Judge Beverley Lunt said: "Fraudlent claims affect everyone who has insurance as all our premiums go up."

The judge decided, as neither insurance company had lost out as a result of the fraudulent claims, and Jennings had ample means, that the case could be dealt with by a financial penalty.

John Murray, defending, said his client, who had no previous criminal convictions, was guilty of "abject stupidity" in relation to the claims.

Because of his wrongdoing he also stood to lose out on recovering the costs of the plant machinery which had been genuinely stolen in the two raids, he said.

The court heard that Jennings also faced the worry of not being able to obtain insurance for his premises in future because of his actions.

"He has lost his good name now and that is something which will stay with him forever," added Mr Murray.