Factory worker stole £48k of stock to sell on eBay 'model shop'

A GREEDY factory worker stole £48,000 worth of stock from his employer to create his own black market "model shop" on eBay.

- LEE GRIMSDITCH & JON HARRIS

Robert Collister, 61, exploited his flexi-time hours to work at night, on his own, stuffing his rucksack with Airfix kits, toys, and wargames under the nose of his boss.

For five years, Collister helped himself to a range of hobby products including model aircraft, model space rockets, Dinky-type cars, model railway accessories and doll's house parts to sell at cut prices on the auction website.

Oblivious to his crimes, unsuspecting buyers left rave reviews on his eBay page after discovering he was undercutting the prices of his employers, Javis Manufacturing Ltd in Stockport. Before Javis' managing director, Peter Bridge, was alerted to the pirate operation, Collister made a total of £66,000 from sales on his 'model seller' page.

Inquiries revealed Collister had presided over 1,992 illicit transaction in stolen items worth a total of £48,327.94. A further 1,018 sales worth £18,000 were examined as suspicious but it could not be proved if they involved stolen items.