A self-confessed tout who colluded with staff in Liverpool FC's ticket office to resell passes for games at "significantly inflated prices" compared one of his key contacts to Great Train Robber Ronnie Biggs. Joseph Johnson, who also called himself "Billy big balls" during his WhatsApp messages, was one of five men and two women who went on trial at Liverpool Crown Court this week accused of being part of the lucrative conspiracy.

Said to have been a "successful ticket tout", he and his associates are said to have operated the "Amazon" of his trade from a leased office at a sixth form college. The fraudulent scheme spanned several years and involved the creation of more than 1,000 LFC memberships using fake names and details, potentially generating hundreds of thousands of pounds in profits.

While Johnson had previously denied a total of five charges, his counsel Dominic Thomas asked for his client to be rearraigned on Thursday. He then pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud by abuse of position and two counts of conspiracy to commit fraud by false...