A 23-YEAR-OLD man sparked a major police investigation after claiming he had been kidnapped and set on fire by three Asian men, a court heard.
But Blackburn magistrates were told the story was fabricated by Stuart Anthony Richards to cover up a bogus insurance claim.
He invented the story after his attempts to torch his car on a remote lane near Darwen went wrong. Richards inadvertently set fire to himself as well and suffered extensive burns.
He staggered to a pub to raise the alarm, realising as he did that he would not be able to claim his car had been stolen and set on fire by the thieves.
His alternative version of events led uniformed and CID officers from the Greater Manchester and Lancashire forces on a two-day wild goose chase.
Richards, 23, of Rushy Field, Bromley Cross, Bolton, pleaded guilty to wasting police time and he was remanded on bail until November 22 for the preparation of pre-sentence reports.
A charge of attempting to pervert the course of justice was withdrawn.
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