MOTORING-MAD Alvin Hull left salesmen standing when he drove off alone to test drive their vehicles.

Hull, 32, of Railway Terrace, Blackburn, admitted theft of a £10,000 Rover and an £8,000 Citroen at Blackpool Magistrates Court.

He also admitted taking a Mercedes and a Peugeot, dangerous driving and driving while banned and without insurance.

Hull, a car valeter, was remanded in custody until a date to be fixed for sentence at crown court.

Prosecutor Malcolm Isherwood said the first theft happened when a woman put her car up for sale in Cleveleys. Hull took it for a test drive and it disappeared, never to be recovered.

The complainant's boyfriend had taken Hull's mobile phone number when they were discussing the car's sale. When he phoned the number Hull answered and at first denied taking the car, but then he admitted he had. The car was not seen again.

The second theft was from a Blackpool garage.

The prosecutor said: "It was a Rover car. The salesman took Hull for a test drive.

"They stopped at a service station and the salesman thought Hull had followed him into the shop but Hull drove off."

Police spotted the stolen car which had the number plates changed. There was a chase before Hull ran off . He was later arrested.

Steven Townley, defending, said his client had found himself homeless and destitute. He came to the Fylde coast and took the cars to use to travel around the North West to look for work.

The defence said: "He could be described as a Walter Mitty character. He appears to have no regard for getting caught and even gives the seller his real name."