'CORRUPT' dealings in Wootton Bassett allowed millions of pounds of ill-gotten cash to be withdrawn from the local branch of HSBC after large scale thefts from BT, a court heard.

Police investigating multiple conspiracies for thefts and money laundering found the bank account of The Comms and CATV Ltd, based in Bassett, was emptied of more than £2m in cash from the branch over a three-year period.

Lorries full of stolen goods from BT would arrive at Templar Way Industrial Estate, before being stripped of markings and sold on, it is alleged. Documents would be forged retrospectively, ending in cheques made out to cash.

The companies would use legitimate companies as a cover for the origin of the stolen goods, Bristol Crown Court heard.

Nicholas Haggan, prosecuting, said: "As the police disentangled the complexity of the document trail, a clear picture began to build. The whole exercise was completely bogus from start to finish.

"It is a construction of paperwork designed to show a series of events that did not happen."

The jury were shown a sample invoice from Ennis Technology Ltd to CATV.

"Ennis did exist," added Mr Haggan. "It was a legitimate company, however those responsible for Ennis had never heard of Telkom or CATV, and had never had any dealings with either of them.

"It became obvious Ennis was a device to disguise the origin of the stolen goods.

"At regular intervals money was transferred from Telkom to the CATV bank account. More often than not, they were nice round sums.

"When the police examined the bank account of CATV they discovered between September 2009 and August 2011, Telkom had paid some £2,151,388 in to the bank account. It appears a cheque would be written for the purchase order, and made payable to cash. The accountant would take that to HSBC in Wootton Bassett and cash it.

"Not long after every penny was taken from one company bank account, it was in liquidation.

"The proprietors also held a short-holding in the British Virgin Islands. That paid £1,000,000 for the shares of the original company, but within months they applied for the company to be dissolved. This was the proceeds of crime being laundered, we say."

Stephen Smith, 60, of Hook, Jana Smith, 36, of Grange Park, and Ronald Porter, 52, of Essex, are charged with conspiracy to steal telecommunications equipment from BT between September 2009 and August 2011, to a value unknown.

The Smiths, along with Philip Woodcraft, 57, of Ross-on-Wye, are further charged with two counts of conspiracy to conceal, disguise, convert or transfer criminal property relating to dealings with Telekom International Ltd, The Comms and CATV Supply Company Ltd, Heritage Services Ltd, and Eness Technology Ltd between November 2006 and August 2011.

Karen Allen, 59, and Robert Tennant, 47, both of Coventry are charged alongside Stephen Smith with conspiracy to conceal criminal property relating to dealings with The Telcom Store Ltd, Telkom International, and The Comms and CATV Supply Company between July 2003 and August 2011.

Two further counts of conspiracy to conceal criminal property are levelled against Woodcraft, John Cooper, 45, of Dagenham, and Mark Stanton, 49, of Romford, between August 2010 and April 2012, relating to Heritage Services Ltd, J.C. Waste Management and Recycling Ltd, Office Recycling Ltd and MS Telecommunication and Recycling Ltd.

All eight defendants deny the charges and the trial, expected to last until Christmas, continues.