POLICE have been ordered to return £6,600 seized from a man who has been charged with offences connected with betting on credit.

And Blackburn magistrates also awarded costs of £131 against the Lancashire Constabulary after hearing that they had held the money since November.

David Gudgeon, 45, of Fairhope Court, Blackburn, faces four charges of obtaining a pecuniary advantage by deception by being given the opportunity to win money by betting, by deception, by falsely representing that he did not place the bet by telephone on an account that he had set up.

One of the bets involves a £10,000 treble allegedly placed on three football matches with William Hill bookmakers in August 2000 and the other three relate to transactions in October 2001, involving Surrey racing.

During previous hearings at Blackburn magistrates, Niamh Noone, for the Chief Constable, argued that the money should be retained until the conclusion of the criminal proceedings.

But Daniel King, representing Gudgeon, said the money was clearly not related to the criminal proceedings and argued that the police had no right to hold on to it.

The chairman of the bench said the magistrates had not heard anything to link the money to the alleged offences and allowed Miss Noone an adjournment to call the police officer leading the investigation.

However, when the court reconvened, Miss Noone conceded that the officer could not say categorically that the two were linked.

The criminal proceedings have been adjourned until June 6 and Gudgeon was remanded on bail.