A BUSINESSMAN from Lincoln stole the identities of companies to carry out a mobile phone fraud, a jury was told.

Michael Kirkby is alleged to have carried out the con by registering bogus new addresses for firms with Companies House.

Kirkby then ordered dozens of new mobile phones and BlackBerrys to be sent to the false "virtual addresses". His order also included the purchase of airtime with the mobile firms.

Kirkby then went on to sell the phones within days using his own eBay account while the SIM cards were used on different phones to make large numbers of calls.

Jonathan Dee, prosecuting, told the jury at Lincoln Crown Court Kirkby was "at the centre" of the scam which used the names of law-abiding firms to trick companies such as Orange, T-Mobile and Carphone Warehouse into providing the phones.

Within days the mobiles were sold on eBay and then Kirkby would simply disappear for a couple of weeks before hitting on a new target.

Kirkby, 37, formerly of Stocking Way, Carlton Boulevard, Lincoln, but currently living and working in Mexico, denies seven charges of deception, one attempted deception, four charges of fraud, seven charges of using a false instrument with intent and 12 charges of converting criminal property on dates between February 2006 and January 2008.

The jury has been told he has pleaded guilty to two further charges of converting criminal property by selling stolen mobiles on eBay.

Mr Dee told the jury Kirkby had at least one accomplice in the offences which involved hijacking the identities of seven different firms.

He said: "This was a well-organised and somewhat sophisticated fraud which involved hijacking the identities of legitimate companies.

"The means by which they did that was by sending a document to Companies House to change the address of the company. This was used to move the registered address of legitimate companies. This man was right at the heart of this fraud."

The trial continues.