TWO burglars were today behind bars after a passing motorist tracked them through the streets of York and put police on their tail, the city's crown court heard.

Getaway driver Andrew Simon Town, 24, topped 70mph, and the pair threw a jemmy out of their car as they tried to evade the law during a six-mile night chase on February 6 that ended in passenger Paul Michael Wittner's home street, said Geraldine Kelly, prosecuting.

Judge Trevor Kent-Jones said they had pre-planned their 4.45am raid on the Co-op in Bishopthorpe Road armed with burgling tools, gloves and a mask.

Miss Kelly said their attempt to jemmy the shop door set off the burglar alarm alerting passing motorist Andrew Carlton. He followed them along Tadcaster Road as he phoned for help and police took up the pursuit on the A64 ring-road.

Miss Kelly said Town drove at 70mph through 30mph zones back up Tadcaster Road, along Scarcroft Road, the wrong way round the one-way system at Skeldergate Bridge, crossed the central embankment in Fishergate and stopped in Margaret Street, off Walmgate.

Wittner was on bail at the time because in December, when a policeman had knocked on his door, the burglar had driven off in a snatched car, defying a driving ban.

Town, of Galtres Avenue, York, pleaded guilty to attempted burglary and dangerous driving and was jailed for two years.

Wittner, 34, formerly of Thames House, Margaret Street, pleaded guilty to attempted burglary, driving while disqualified and without insurance and taking a vehicle without consent and was jailed for 21 months.

For Town, Richard Clews said he now realised he had to behave more responsibly and break out of offending.

For Wittner, Nicholas Barker said he had surrendered quietly at the end of the February car chase.

Updated: 12:15 Saturday, September 21, 2002