A POLICE officer has told a jury he could not “prove” any of the metal in TR Rogers & Sons was stolen after sending in undercover officers.

Detective Sergeant John Easton gave evidence yesterday in the trial of five men accused of turning “a blind eye” to two police officers posing as metal thieves.

The prosecution alleges the defendants accepted “suspicious” metal cables and lead from the pair last year, despite suspecting there was something wrong.

Peter Stage, defending Simon Rogers, asked Det Sgt Easton if he or his officers had been able to find any other suspicious metal when they raided the Nuneham Courtenay scrap yard after the undercover operation.

The officer said after conducting inquires with the firms who originally owned the cables which had been found, he had not been able to find any evidence they were stolen.

But Mr Stage told him this attitude was like “sticking your head in the sand” and accused the officer of deliberately not contacting the people who had sold the yard metal because it might help the defence case.

The officer denied this.

The trial at Oxford Crown Court continues.