TWO men have been sentenced to nine months in prison after more than £14,000-worth of lead-coated copper cable was discovered in their vehicles.

Arthur Smith, 29, and William Arthur Robshaw, 24, were arrested in May last year after traffic police stopped their vehicles near Towton, Tadcaster, and found 1.5 tonnes of stolen BT communications cable in each, worth a total of £14,265.

The arrests were made as part of Operation Tornado – a country-wide police initiative targeting metal theft.

The pair were both charged with possessing criminal property. Smith, of Carlton Caravan Site, Carlton, Goole, pleaded guilty and Robshaw, of Cottingley Springs Caravan Site, Gildersome, Leeds, was found guilty by a jury.

They were both sentenced to nine months in prison at York Crown Court on Monday.

A Ford Transit pickup owned by Smith and a Ford Transit drop-side lorry owned by Robshaw were both confiscated.

Sergeant Julian Pearson, of Tadcaster roads policing group, said: “I hope members of the public are pleased with the sentence, in particular the loss of their vehicles, which will be sold and the proceeds placed into a central fund which local good causes can access.”