A thief yesterday admitted stealing cars worth thousands of pounds from showrooms and private sellers.

A thief yesterday admitted stealing cars worth thousands of pounds from showrooms and private sellers.

Alan Boulter, 23, asked to test drive the secondhand cars - including a £10,000 Audi TT - then drove off when he was handed the keys.

He crashed a £6000 Mitsubishi car into a barrier moments after stealing it.

Boulter pled guilty at Edinburgh Sheriff Court to 37 separate charges, including stealing seven cars and obtaining another with a stolen cheque.

His haul included a £12,950 Volkswagen, a £500 Ford Focus, a Peugeot 406 worth £2100, a Citroen Saxo worth £2200 and a £4000 Mazda MX5.

The court heard that Boulter phoned the seller of an Audi TT advertised for £10,350 in Auto Trader magazine and arranged to view the vehicle at the Beech Tree in Linlithgow on September 20.

Boulter sat in the driver's seat and asked the seller to open the bonnet to show him the engine.

As the man went to the front of the car, Boulter reversed at speed and then drove off.

On September 25, Boulter went to see a Mitsubishi Lancer at Camps Industrial Estate in Kirknewton, and took the keys while the owner was on the phone, gesturing that he was taking the car around the block. Boulter then drove off at high speed towards the B7015. The owner found the car crashed into a barrier.

Boulter also admitted stealing a set of number plates from Western Volkswagen in Gorgie Road, Edinburgh, and trying to cash a £920 cheque from a stolen cheque book.

He was remanded in custody until sentencing.