A judge has jailed three men for stealing or handling electric power cable from rail structures in the Kirklees area.

Two other men were also sentenced after Leeds Crown Court heard yesterday such offences targeting the Trans Pennine route between Leeds and Manchester cost the network considerable money.

Rukhshanda Hussain prosecuting said such thefts not only caused disruption to rail users but had the high cost of replacement.

The first theft happened in June last year when 318 metres of cable had to be replaced near Ravensthorpe costing £35,000 in labour and repairs.

The thief was Adrian Pongori who got three other men to help him transport the cable. While on a later occasion he admitted handling cable stolen by another man Cornel Balaiu from near Mirfield .

The replacement costs in that case were £11,900, she said.

Adrian Pongori, 32 of Field Street, Ravensthorpe admitted one charge of theft and one of handling and was jailed for a total of 27 months.

Balaiu, 38 also of Field Street, Ravensthorpe who admitted one charge of theft was jailed for 16 months.

Gheorge Pongori, 32 of Temple View Place, East End Park, Leeds who admitted one offence of handling and breaching a suspended sentence was jailed for two years.

The court heard he was in the building trade and had travelled to the UK looking for work and became involved in offending when he could not find any.

Albu-Paulo Lazar, 24, of Sackville Street, Ravensthorpe, admitted one offence of handling and was given 18 months in prison suspended for 18 months with 150 hours unpaid work.

He said he had been recruited to help with the offer of £50.

Ioan-marin Lapusan, 23 of Myrtle Road, Ravensthorpe was given an 18 month community order with 150 hours unpaid work and a 12 week curfew from 9pm to 6am.

Judge Sally Cahill QC said the offences were serious but was prepared to accept Lapusan had significant personal mitigation having kept out of trouble since and found employment.