The founder of a scrapyard targeted by an undercover police operation yesterday denied that any “iffy” metal passed through his business.

A trial jury at Oxford Crown Court listened to extracts of a police interview with Terence Rogers, of TR Rogers and Sons in Nuneham Courtenay.

The prosecution alleges undercover police were met with “wilful blindness”, despite making repeated references their metal was stolen. Rogers said staff wouldn’t have accepted suspicious metal adding: “No. They would come and get us.” Terence Rogers, 70, of Drayton St Leonard, Simon Rogers, 42, of Faringdon, Martin Pace, 36, of Wallingford, Ian Marshall, 29, of Berinsfield, and Darren Andrews, 34, of Berinsfield, all deny attempting to conceal, disguise or convert criminal property. The trial continues.