A FORMER mayor has said that not even family are above the law, after he reported his own cousin for dumping a car into the canal and damaging his property.

Coun Yusuf Jan-Virmani spoke out after his cousin Adhnan Bhegani, 19, of Brunel Walk, Blackburn, appeared before magistrates and admitted causing a major incident.

Today Coun Jan-Virmani said: "This young man should not have been doing this and should be looking after himself and not giving trouble to his parents. He's causing havoc to the family.

"Whoever is breaking the law, if it's my family or whoever, I will report them, it's my duty.

"I could have said to him pay me for the fence that the car damaged and forget it', but I spoke to his parents and said he should be treated like everybody else."

He said it was a sad incident, and that his "distant relative" had got in with the wrong crowd.

Blackburn magistrates heard that emergency services attended Jan's Conference Centre, Higher Audley Street, on Saturday, May 6 after the top of a car was spotted by a passer- by.

Fire and rescue personnel used thermal imaging equipment and divers to establish that no-one was trapped in the vehicle.

Seven emergency vehicles were called to the scene and Higher Audley Street had to be closed to traffic for the duration of the incident.

Catherine Allan, prosecuting, said the damage to railings at the conference centre was £200 but the real cost of the incident was much higher.

She said: "The deployment of the fire and rescue services cost £2,870 and British Waterways spent £2,000 on a crane to remove the vehicle.".

Bhegani admitted damaging a fence belonging to his cousin, Coun Jan-Virmani, driving other than in accordance with a licence and without insurance.

He was made subject to a 12-month supervision order, 100 hours unpaid work and was ordered to pay compensation to his cousin and £200 to the fire service.

When interviewed Bhegani told police he had been "chilling" with friends, driving round in the car until the clutch burned out.

At first they were going to "torch" the car but then decided to push it into the canal.

"The first time they tried the car just dented the metal railings so they pushed it back and then tried again," said Miss Allan.

"This time it broke through the railing and careered down the grass embankment and into the canal."