Two men are facing jail for the organised theft of nearly £2m-worth of cars.

The two were part of a gang who stole sets of car keys from garages in Colchester and throughout Essex and Hertfordshire before stealing expensive vehicles.

In one incident, 20 keys were taken and six cars - five Lotus models and a BMW worth a total of £145,000 - were stolen.

Chelmsford Crown Court heard yesterday how more than 100 sets of car keys were stolen from garages over a five-month period last year.

The two men - Paul Arden and Christopher Fahey - admitted charges of burglary and theft when they appeared in court and were remanded in custody while reports were prepared.

Arden, 21, of Dagenham Road, Romford, and Fahey, 24, of Charlton Crescent, Barking, admitted stealing 26 car keys from Miller and Middleton Motors in Bergholt Road, Colchester, in April.

Arden also admitted stealing five cars from the firm. Fahey admitted three burglary and three theft charges.

Andrew Jackson, prosecuting, said other members of the gang involved had not been caught.

"The case involved the organised theft of cars to order," Mr Jackson told the court.

He said 30 sets of keys were stolen in a burglary at Bristol Street Motors in Waltham Cross in May last year.

Nine vehicles, a BMW and eight Peugeots worth £88,150, were stolen.

The following month, 23 car keys were taken in a burglary at the EJ Darlington Garages at Theydon Bois.

Ten Renault cars worth £81,000 were taken.

Another 20 sets of keys were stolen from the London Lotus Centre in St Albans last September and five Lotus cars and a BMW worth a total of £145,000 were stolen, Mr Jackson said.

The court heard the total value of the cars in the charges against Fahey was £341,000.

Christine Agnew, mitigating, said Fahey would be asking the court to take into consideration other offences involving cars worth £240,000 when he appears in court again.

Published Wednesday, March 13, 2002