A GANG of thieves targetting lorries failed to make a clean getaway when they crashed strewing thousands of deodorant cans 400 yards up the A1, Bradford Crown Court heard.

The smash came a fortnight after raiders stole 3,800 kilos of copper wire, valued at £1,680, from a lorry parked overnight at the Olympic Industrial Estate off Dealburn Road, Low Moor, Bradford.

The wire theft was spotted on CCTV by a security guard. The lorry driver sounded his horn and the police were alerted.

They lay in wait in Cleckheaton Road after up to six men were seen loading the copper wire into a white van.

Their overloaded vehicle struck railings and one of the gang, Jamie Mackie, was caught hiding in a bush when the police helicopter was scrambled to search for him.

While on bail, Mackie took part in the deodorant theft in which the getaway lorry, travelling without lights, struck another wagon on the A1, prosecutor James Weekes told the court yesterday.

The smash left a 400 metre trail of debris in the road.

Mr Weekes said thousands of cans of deodorant were strewn in the carriageway and thousands more were found in the thieves' lorry.

Mackie, 22, of Middleton Road, Morley, pleaded guilty to stealing four rolls of copper wire, on February 2, failing to answer his bail, and stealing the deodorant cans, on March 19.

He was brought in custody to court and sentenced to 14 months imprisonment, suspended for two years, with 120 hours of unpaid work and a nine month drug rehabilitation requirement.

Mackie had 19 convictions for 30 offences, including robbery, theft, burglary, aggravated vehicle taking and shoplifting.

Mr Weekes said of the thefts: "They were planned, organised operations, involving a group of men with vehicles on false plates, and tools must have been used to cut through the plastic sides of the lorries."

Mackie's barrister, Shufqat Khan, said he was a cocaine addict open to being exploited. He was vulnerable and easily led.

He had now spent about six months in custody.

Judge Burn said the A1 theft was "appallingly dangerous".

The getaway lorry was unlit and crashed, injuring the driver and causing severe damage.