A WORCESTER jury heard a businessman ask undercover police to break a man's arms or legs.

The tape of Robert Breese's conversation, played yesterday at Worcester Crown Court, explained how he was beaten up in a pub after encountering his girlfriend's ex-boyfriend. He spent three days in hospital with internal bleeding.

On tape, he asks the officer, who was posing as a Liverpudlian criminal: "Have you got a couple of handy lads?" Then Breese explains he wants somebody to his give his attacker "a good slap".

The officer asks him whether he wants a body, but Breese says: "Not that drastic. I want him to be hurt. Just his arm broken or his legs."

The 52-year-old, of Baddymarsh Farm, Lower Eggerton, Ledbury, denies conspiracy to pass counterfeit currency between January and September 2000.

Undercover police

Three other defendants deny a similar charge. They are: Edward Hodge, 61, and Jean Barlow, 55, both of Kingstanding Road, Birmingham, and Anthony Southall, 49, of Copthorne Road, Kingstanding.

The prosecution at the fake money trial maintained Breese was taken in by the undercover police and thought he was talking to hardened criminals.

It is alleged that Breese incriminated himself in the dud notes scam in taped conversations.

Breese insists he knew they were undercover, but claims he made the beating request as a joke to hide his own role as a police informer.

In cross-examination Breese insisted he kept undercover and pretended to have a go-between role in the fake currency plot.

Breese claimed he had been used in a number of police operations.

The trial continues.