Noel Corry, a former Coca-Cola Enterprises manager has admitted taking more than £1.5m in bribes in exchange for helping favoured companies win lucrative contracts.

According to reports, the 56-year-old provided Boulting Group, Tritec Systems, and Electron Systems with confidential and sensitive data from 2004 to 2013.

It gave them an advantage over rivals in contract bids.

Corry, of Lymm, Cheshire, was given a 20-month suspended sentence and the companies involved were fined.

A former director of Tritec Systems, Gary Haines, 60, of Market Drayton, Shropshire, was also given a 20-month suspended sentence and a former contract manager at Boulting, Peter Kinsella, 58, of Manchester, was given a 12-month suspended sentence at Southwark Crown Court.