Haulier who hid his life of crime is ordered to repay almost £500,000

Dean Gossop, 38, of Goxhill, North Lincolnshire, whose haulage company has "substantial" legitimate contracts, is believed to have made 1,139,812 from his criminal activities.

He has been ordered to pay the value of his assets – 491,342 – some of which are in his wife's name, to Hull Crown Court after Humberside Police obtained

its largest single confiscation order.

Gossop committed a number of high value thefts, including what police described as the "audacious" removal of 109,000 worth of classic sports cars from a lock-up in his own village.

During a period when his declared income to HM Revenue and Customs was never more than 13,000 a year, he bought a 500,000 farmhouse, two investment properties and several vehicles, including a classic Mercedes and a classic 1964 Ducati motorcycle in pristine condition.

A police investigation found he could also not legitimately vouch for a large number of cash payments made through business and personal accounts.

Gossop pleaded guilty to burglary, money laundering, four counts of handling stolen goods, and three of forgery, and was jailed for 10 months.

Judge Michael Mettyear described his criminal activity as "serious offences of criminal dishonesty".

Gossop has six months to comply with the order, or face three-and-a-half years in jail, after which the debt would still be payable with interest charged at eight per cent a year.

Humberside Police financial investigator Ashley Pearson said: "This represents a great success for the Economic Crime Section of Humberside Police and should serve as a warning to all those who may believe that crime will fund a lavish lifestyle.

"As Mr Gossop has found, we can and will pursue criminals for every penny they own, and systematically dismantle their criminal frameworks – even where that criminality is hidden amongst otherwise legitimate businesses."

He added: "Confiscation orders provide a valuable tool for police and other law enforcement agencies to remove negative role models from local communities where they have been seen to live a life of luxury without any visible financial means to support this lifestyle."