A BLACKBURN man accused of a massive money laundering operation told police that cash in his bank accounts were from a gambling consortium .

But 54-year-old Andrew Akeroyd said he was not prepared to name the members of the consortium.

The prosecution at Preston Crown Court alleges that while working as a lorry driver nearly £500,000 was paid into accounts controlled by Akeroyd over a three year period.

The jury has been told that the large sums of cash were generated by crime.

Some was paid into his then partner's account and Akeroyd claimed it had come from gambling in Holland.

The prosecution say that if that explanation was right, it meant Akeroyd had the most staggering run of luck for a non-professional gambler.

Akeroyd of Kingsley Close, Blackburn denies a charge alleging money laundering.

As a lorry driver he regularly travelled between Leyland and Holland earning around £2,000 a month.

He told officers: "I won a large amount of money. I am not prepared to divulge what that amount is.

"It looks suspicious, I can't deny that.

"I am not prepared to give any more detail because it involves other people."

Asked if he could prove where the money came from, he replied "There's no way I can prove any of it,"

He said banks had asked him and his reply was that it was none of their business. They said they had to ask because of money laundering. "I have no idea what money laundering is," Akeroyd told police.

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