TWO men spent time in custody after a pub boss lied to police that his car had been taken without consent.

Police arrested Stephen Hill and his passenger after seeing the vehicle being driven at speed around Kidderminster's Watermill car park.

Manager, Paul Haslam, said he had left the keys behind the bar and had not given permission to drive, said Suzanne Llewellyn, prosecuting at Worcester Crown Court.

Mr Hill ran through the pub, in Park Lane, Kidderminster, then jumped into the canal before being arrested.

The joyriders spent up to 18 hours in custody. Haslam then contacted police and confessed he had lied.

He also wiped the CCTV security film clean because he feared it would show him handing over the car key to Mr Hill.

Judge David McEvoy QC said Haslam did not want to be blamed by police for giving the key to a drink-driver.

He ordered 38-year-old Haslam, who now runs and lives at The Playhouse pub in Grantham, Lincolnshire, to carry out 100 hours of unpaid community work.

The defendant was also fined £500 and must pay £210 court costs. He admitted attempting to pervert the course of justice.

Haslam gave the keys to Mr Hill - the boyfriend of one of the bar staff - at around midnight on May 12 and told him he could only drive around the car park.

He insisted Mr Hill had assured him he had not been drinking.

Defence counsel Thomas Elmer said Haslam had been discharged from the Army on medical grounds before a 10-year career in the licensing trade.

He said police had insisted Haslam make a statement, although he was unaware he was within his rights to refuse.

That night Haslam had been celebrating his birthday by drinking three pints of lager, which had impaired his judgement.