A MAN who falsely claimed to have been kidnapped and set on fire by three Asian men has been ordered to complete 60 hours community punishment.

Stuart Anthony Richards sparked a major police investigation when he invented an elaborate story claiming he was grabbed by men armed with either a gun or a knife.

The 23-year-old man has since sought help from a psychiatric nurse.

Blackburn magistrates heard he had lied to police in an attempt to cover up a botched, bogus insurance claim when his attempts to torch his car on a remote lane near Darwen went horribly wrong.

Richards inadvertently set fire to himself as well and suffered extensive burns to his entire left side and to his left arm.

His alternative version of events led uniformed and CID officers from the Greater Manchester and Lancashire forces on a two-day wild goose chase.

The site of the fire was also secured and guarded, extensive forensic investigation was carried out and officers made totally futile inquiries in both counties.

The investigation cost £9,158.

Richards, of Rushy Field, Bromley Cross, Bolton, pleaded guilty to wasting police time. In addition to community punishment he was also given an 18 months community service order.

A charge of attempting to pervert the course of justice had been withdrawn at an earlier hearing.

on a previous occasion.

Mr White said Richards told police that three Asian men had hijacked him in Bolton on September 12 and forced him to drive down a remote lane in the Turton area. Richards said the men got out, released the handbrake and rolled the car down an incline, where it crashed into a tree and turned onto its roof with Richards trapped inside. He told how they then dowsed the car in petrol before setting it on fire.

When he was interviewed in hospital two days after the incident officers began to challenge certain aspects of his story and Richards eventually told them the truth. He also apologised for involving the Asian community in his pretence.

He told officers that he was experiencing severe financial difficulties and had intended to torch the car so the insurance company would clear the outstanding finance.

David Griffiths, defending, said Richards was a young man in a steady relationship with a young daughter who had never been in trouble before.

"He was a young man driven by desperation to do what he did," said Mr Griffiths. "The significant difference between then and now is that he was unable to unburden himself of his problems. He bottled everything up and found he was increasingly unable to cope until he eventually embarked on this foolhardy scheme."

Mr Griffiths said Richards had received substantial support from the community psychiatric nurse and was receiving medication.