TWO professional thieves from Bradford who rammed a police car to escape during a criminal excursion to North Yorkshire have been jailed.

Richard Edwards, 35, and Gareth Knowles, 30, travelled from their Bradford homes in a hired van to steal insulation from a village building site, York Crown Court heard.

Michael Cahill, prosecuting, said a police officer alerted by a neighbour living near the site on Main Street, Hambledon near Selby blocked the escape route with his car.

The van rammed the car with the officer still being in it, pushed it out of their path and got away. But police tracked them down, despite them attempting to cover their tracks by using an innocent woman to hire the van.

“This was serious, organised and professional crime,” said Judge Andrew Stubbs QC. “You are both experienced criminals.”

He jailed both for 15 months.

Edwards, of Upper Meadows, Queensbury, Bradford, and Knowles, of Milner Ing, Wyke, Bradford, both admitted theft and aggravated taking of a vehicle a week before they were due to stand trial.

The prosecution were unable to say which one was driving the van when it rammed the police car, so accepted pleas from both on the basis they were passengers.

Mr Cahill said the resident spotted the pair loading up the hired van after dark on October 14, 2015, and alerted police, who blocked the site entrance with a patrol car.

Edwards had got the van from a hire company by persuading a woman he had met recently to hire it in her name for him to use. At the time he was a disqualified driver.

He and his accomplice Knowles got away with £1,050 of insulation belonging to Pilcher Homes but police got part of the number plate and the name of the hire company and were waiting at its office when the woman returned the van.

Officers spotted a white Audi in the firm's car park that drove off when its driver saw the police and later stopped the vehicle with both men inside.

For Edwards, Anne-Marie Hutton said he had been suffering from psychiatric problems at the time that had required him being sent to a psychiatric hospital. He was still on anti-depressants when he was sentenced.

John Bottomley, for Knowles, said he was ashamed of his actions and wanted to go straight when released from jail.