After being given new identities by a "master forger", most were exported, via Maastricht and Antwerp in Holland, to the United Arab Emirates - tactics reminiscent of Nicolas Cage’s cult gangland car theft Hollywood hit Gone in 60 Seconds.

London’s Southwark Crown Court heard the socialite’s BMW 645 convertible worth £50,000, first attracted the gang’s attention when they saw it parked outside her London home.

A "replacement" key from a Stuttgart dealer was used to steal it in October 2005.

Prosecutors said the vehicle was one of six recovered from the 34 to fall into the crooks’ clutches.

In the dock were mastermind Ganchi, 29, who has addresses in both Mellows Road and Rachel Close, Ilford, Essex; Shazad Hussain, 31, of Springford Road, Mosely, Birmingham; Shakeel Shoukat, 21, of Central Park Road, Forest Gate, east London; Hameed Nawaz, 31, of Ivy Road, Luton, Bedfordshire, and Kaduji, of Jephson Road, Forest Gate.

They variously admitted a number of conspiracies involving both car thefts and money laundering between June 1 2003 and January 1 this year.

Judge Peter Testar will sentence them next Friday.

Tara’s ’marital bliss’ - Oct 2 2007
There’s always one that got away and for Tara Palmer Tomkinson it seems the man that escaped her clutches was Robbie Williams.

The pair had a 10-day fling last year - and the socialite described their time together holed up in Robbie’s luxury pad watching TV as "marital bliss".

The 35-year-old told Star magazine: "He’s adorable and we have such a laugh together. I love him and he knows that."

Even though Robbie lives in LA, Tara said she would definitely move across the pond "for love".

"Robbie and I have so much in common, and it was great when we lay in front of the TV like slugs," she laughed.

"We watched Deal Or No Deal every day. We loved that. We’d just lie there in marital bliss."

She continued: "I feel I should be on the next plane to LA to see Rob. There’s such unfinished business there."



Tara’s expensive wardrobe - Sept 25 2007
Tara Palmer-Tomkinson has reportedly admitted she has quite a healthy shopping habit - and spends as much as £2,000 per outfit.

The socialite, who is hosting Living TV’s Dirty Cows, told New! magazine: "My expenditure is quite big. Outfits cost a lot. I know they don’t have to but life is quite relative. I’m quite extravagant.

"Any outfit I’m going to wear in a day will cost about £2,000."

The 35-year-old is having a house built in Bali and says she’d love to take Duncan James or Robbie Williams there.

"They’re so fun to be with," she gushed. "And they like doing the same thing as me. I will definitely invite them over. Robbie’s a good friend and I really adore him."

She was also keen to insist that her and Duncan are just pals.

"I love him as a friend," she said. "Duncan and I are not going out together and people need to get that in their heads. He’s moving in with me. It’s only for a couple of weeks. He’s switching flats and I’ve got a really big house."


Tara said tarrah to party set - July 25 2007
Tara Palmer-Tomkinson has revealed that she had to abandon the fashionable London party set to get clean.

The socialite, who has previously been in rehab to fight her drug addition, told The Sun: "I’m actually pretty healthy now.