AN EAST Lancashire businessman was snatched from his home by a gang which demanded a half-million pound ransom for his return, a court heard.

A 42-year-old man from Guide is among eight men who deny a charge of conspiring to kidnap Burnley shop owner Alec Cunningham on June 17 last year.

The father-of-three, who owns a second hand shop in Plumbe Street, Burnley, was seized from his house on the outskirts of Burnley, Preston Crown Court was told.

He was taken to a house in Manchester during a ten-hour kidnap ordeal. It is alleged Jeffrey Mason, of Haslingden Road, Guide and seven others, were behind the kidnap.

Mr Cunningham was later dumped in a street in Stretford in the early hours after friends and family rallied in a frantic search to find the cash to meet the kidnappers' demands, the court was told.

Money and jewellery from Mr Cunningham's shop were handed over to the kidnappers at a meeting point off junction nine of the M60, near the Trafford Centre, before he was released, the court was told.

Mr Cunningham was found by police near the Robin Hood pub in the Manchester district wearing nothing but a pair of torn underpants and with heavy duty tape wrapped round his head.

The jury heard his injuries included stab wounds, bruising to his face, scald marks on his legs and scraping injuries to his back inflicted during the journey from Burnley after he was snatched and at the house in Manchester where he was held.

Eight men, seven from the Manchester area and one from Guide, deny a charge of conspiring to kidnap the businessman on June 17 last year.

Louise Blackwell, prosecuting, told the jury Mr Cunningham had been at home by himself on the day of the kidnap when at about 6.30pm three cars came up the drive to the house, on Todmorden Road, Burnley. She said Mr Cunningham was put into one of the cars and driven to Manchester, where he was held.

His long-term partner Shirley Murtagh returned to the house at about 7.30pm and, realising something was wrong, contacted the police who secretly monitored the rest of the night's events.

Miss Blackwell said the kidnappers soon made contact with Miss Murtagh and demanded half-a-million pounds for Alec Cunningham's return.

The court heard repeated phone calls were made from the kidnappers to Shirley Murtagh and from Mr Cunningham himself to others in a bid to find the cash. One man, Michael Connelly, was called by Mr Cunningham and told to repay £10,000 he owed the businessman. The court heard part of Mr Cunningham's business involved money lending. It soon became clear the cash was not enough, however, and the Plumbe Street shop was plundered to try to meet the demands, Miss Blackwell said.

Cunningham's right-hand-man and associate in the money-lending business, Kevin Donaghey, took a large bag of jewellery from the safe in the shop and drove to Manchester.

The eight men in the dock are: Ajay Kaushal, 44, of Ripon Road, Stretford; Arfan Javed, 24, of Clitheroe Road, Longsight; Domenyk Lattlay-Fottfoy, 40, of Brantwood Terrace, Manchester; Jonathan Chadwick, 29, of Fountains Road, Stretford; Jeffrey Mason, 42, of Haslingden Road, Guide; Alexander Singh, 32, of Brompton Road, Stretford; Mohammed Imran, 21, of East Road, Longsight and Rambir Singhlanda, 32, of Whalley Range, Manchester. The case is expected to last two months.

(Proceeding)