THE garage owner who helped catch quadruple killer Mark Hobson after a week-long massive manhunt has sold his business to a former police constable.

Oliver Plaskitt, 26, was training to be a police officer in 2004 when North Road Garage, in Shipton, hit the headlines after its owner, Derek North, recognised one of his customers as Hobson and alerted police. Dozens of officers – some armed – raced to nearby fields where they swooped to arrest Hobson, who was later jailed for life.

Oliver, who has now bought the business from Mr North after leaving the force due to injury, said: “I had literally just started in the police when Hobson went on the run and he was the talk of the force.

“Everything was focused on catching him and after he was caught all the police officers used to go down to the garage just to see where it was. If I’d known then that give it five years and I would own the place, I would never have believed it because I joined the police force for life.”

But two years after joining North Yorkshire Police, Oliver suffered horrendous head injuries in a serious accident and was lucky to survive. He said: “It was 50-50 whether I would live and after putting my family through that, I didn’t want to be in a high-risk job anymore.

“I don’t actually know what happened, nobody does. I don’t remember four days before the accident or seven days afterwards – it’s a complete blank. All I know is that my best friend found me in my bedroom and I’d had a very bad bang to the head.

“There’s no way it could have happened in my bedroom. It must have been while I was walking back from my parents’ house the previous night. It might have been a hit and run accident or maybe somebody took a dislike to me because I was a police officer. I’m not sure I want to know.”

After leaving the force, Oliver – the son of York interior designer Peter Plaskitt – became a car salesman, and when he heard Mr North was selling North Road Garage, he jumped at the opportunity of owning his own business.

He said: “I’ve had to learn a lot and it’s a complete change to my life, but I’m enjoying it and I’m positive about the future.”

Oliver said he was waiting for planning permission to convert the former car showroom into a Londis convenience store and was also getting ready to start selling cars at the site again.