THE husband of a York garage owner turned detective to catch thieves after diesel had been repeatedly stolen, York Crown Court heard.

William Raper set a trap at the London Bridge service station in Tadcaster Road after closing time on October 16, said Nick Worsley, prosecuting.

At 11.40pm, he spotted Leeds pair John Barry Proctor and Terry William Parr siphoning fuel from her overground tank.

They had enough plastic cans and equipment to steal 60 gallons of diesel.

But Mr Raper alerted police as the thieving pair set to work, and they were caught red-handed.

Proctor, 28, of Neville Road, Leeds and Parr, 35, of Grayrigg Close, Leeds, pleaded guilty to attempted theft.

"The owner of the garage will assume these same lot of people had been emptying her diesel tank for a period of time," said Judge Jonathan Crabtree.

But the prosecution could not prove they had stolen fuel on earlier occasions and it was possible the pair had heard from others who had preyed on the garage and decided to turn thief too.

He ordered both to do 200 hours community punishment and pay £150 costs. And he warned that if they did not do the hours, he would lock them up for six months.

"It is only because the prisons are completely stuffed full I do not think it is sensible to send you there straight away," said the judge.

He confiscated their siphoning gear and would have taken their white van as well, but police had handed it back to Parr. Both men had previous convictions.

For Proctor, Peter Moulson said his last serious offence had been some years ago, apart from a burglary in 1999. He was currently on the dole.

Justin Crossley, for Parr, gave no mitigation after the judge indicated he would give them community punishment.