POLICE who raided a restaurant owner's home found stolen goods worth more than £15,000 inside, a jury heard.

Denny Cheung was in possession of 209 items taken during a burglary at Do-it-All in Malvern and 15 grabbed in a break-in at Greenwich Resources in Mathon, Herefordshire, said prosecutor Michael Aspinall.

The haul included tools, electrical goods, DIY items, gardening equipment and computers.

Cheung told police that a customer he only knew as "Rob" had asked him to look after the goods as a favour.

Although they were taking over his home in Sudbury Avenue, Hereford, he did not want to "pry" into their origins.

But Mr Aspinall told Worcester Crown Court: "It beggars belief that you have your house taken over by goods from someone you don't know. He knew they were stolen - that's why they were being hidden in his home."

Cheung, aged 43, denies two charges of handling stolen goods between April and July 2001.

Stacked up

Police found it difficult gaining entry into the defendant's downstairs rooms because of the amount of goods, said Mr Aspinall. Some were stacked up on the patio.

Goods worth £11,800 had been stolen from Do-it-All after they were stored on a car park in padlocked containers because of refurbishment work.

Computer equipment valued at £3,500 disappeared from Greenwich Resources - a mining and exploration company - two months later.

Staff from both firms identified the goods.

The jury heard that DIY goods included hanging baskets, a gas barbecue, lamps, spanners, blinds, 40 packets of parcel string, a toilet seat, a lawnmower, a strimmer and a fire extinguisher.

The stash from the mining firm included geology equipment, instruction manuals, scales, computers, a fax machine, scanner, speakers, shredder and a video monitor.

The trial continues.