A BICYCLE thief was caught after he was spotted by an off-duty security guard at Huddersfield open market.

Andrew Anderson, 26, admitted two charges of theft and one of going equipped to steal at Leeds Crown Court yesterday.

Anderson, of no fixed abode, was caught on CCTV stealing bikes from the University of Huddersfield campus on two separate occasions in October and November last year.

During the second incident he was filmed pulling bolt croppers from his rucksack to cut the security chain of a £300 bike locked up near the business school.

Later that day a university security guard recognised him as he walked through the markets area and alerted police.

Anderson, who has a host of previous convictions for theft, criminal damage, arson and driving offences was spared jail as he has already spent almost a month in custody.

Her Honour, Judge Sally Cahill QC, said she was giving him credit for his guilty plea.

She sentenced him to a 12-month community order but warned him he would be sent to jail if he failed to comply with the order.

She said: “You’ve managed to stay out of trouble for one year, if you hadn’t there would have been a very different approach.

“If you commit further offences you know the kind of place you are going to.”