AFZAAL Ahmed's "pack" of lies came tumbling down like a house of cards after the first one was uncovered, a court heard.

Blackburn magistrates were told that a police officer who stopped Ahmed discovered a producer from a previous occasion when he had been stopped and given a false name.

The officer in the first case had taken a photograph of Ahmed and he attended and produced the evidence. And subsequent checks revealed that he had also driven off from a petrol station without paying for the £40 worth of fuel he had put in his car.

Ahmed, 20, of Thorn Hill Close, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to two charges of obstructing a police officer and one of making off without payment. The court ordered the preparation of pre-sentence reports and Ahmed was remanded on bail until February 21.

Tom Snape, prosecuting, on the first occasion when Ahmed had given false details the officer had been suspicious and had taken a photograph using the video equipment on his car. He said Ahmed had attempted to pay for fuel at Prestonway Service Station, Preston New Road, using a Switch card and when there was a problem with the card he had driven off. He was stopped again a week later when the officer found the producer on the sun visor.

Basharat Ditta, defending, said his client's lies had eventually caught up with him.

"Like a house of cards, once one topples they all fall down and that seems to be what happened here," said Mr Ditta.

He said Ahmed had tried to pay for the petrol with his own debit card but there had been insufficient funds. "He was acutely embarrassed and initially planned to drive home and get some money," said Mr Ditta.