A gang of thieves who stole thousands of pounds' worth of goods from branches of B&Q has been jailed for a total of six years.
Leeds Crown Court heard how the trio of men, all from Barnsley, stole almost £15,000-worth of merchandise from B&Q stores through a "well-organised group gang activity". The thefts of products ranging from lawnmowers and Karcher washers to showers and DIY equipment took place over a number of months last year.

The criminals' operation typically involved two of the men going into a store and loading products into a trolley. They would then take the trolley into the garden area, hide the products near the security fence and leave empty-handed.

The men then came back at night, cut through the fence and escaped with the goods.

Police caught up with the gang in the early hours of July 10, when they found them driving a car containing balaclavas, bolt croppers, a jemmy and bags of B&Q merchandise.

Peter Nathaniel Wild, 39, Ian Parkin, 33, and Michael Kitching, 42, were each sentenced for two years. Wild said in his defence that he had committed the crimes to support his drug habit and not to fund a lavish lifestyle.