TWO men have been been jailed for their part in a night-time burglary at a Cowling farmhouse.

James Marriott, 28, of Tile Terrace, Brighouse, was already subject to a suspended prison sentence for a wounding offence when he was involved in the early hours raid on the isolated property at Gill Top last month.

Bradford Crown Court heard today how Marriott and his 26-year-old co-defendant, Kevin Moore, were seen moving around the farmyard with torches while their driver – 30-year-old Mark Littlewood – sat in his Mitsubishi pick-up vehicle.

The burglars eventually fled with just a can of fuel worth about £25 after damaging the padlocks on an outbuilding, but the disturbed occupants had alerted the police and the trio were stopped as they drove away.

After their arrest, officers found a pair of bolt croppers in a nearby field, and the stolen can of fuel and a damaged padlock were discovered in the pick-up.

Marriott was jailed for a total of 12 months after he admitted the burglary charge and Moore, of Lombard Street, Leeds, was given the same sentence for his role.

Littlewood, who now lives in Staffordshire, had his seven-month jail sentence suspended for two years, but Judge Colin Burn also ordered him to forfeit the vehicle used in the crime.

It is understood the Mitsubishi could be worth between £10,000 to £15,000.

Sentencing the trio, Judge Burn described the offence as "an organised burglary" and said it was obvious stealing a can of petrol was not the only purpose for them going to the farm that night.

"It flies in the face of common sense that the three of you would have gone out their to steal a can of fuel," he added.