THREE Bradford men have been sent to prison over a series of targeted offences involving 'Asian Gold'.

All three have been sentenced to more than two years in prison for burglary, with one of the men also receiving an extra sentence for having an electric stun gun.

Anthony Hardisty, 26, of Mark Close, Bradford, and Michael Darling, 26, of Moorlands Avenue, Bradford, were both jailed for 27 months at Leeds Crown Court last week, each charged on two counts of burglary.

Martin Stokes, 23, of Kettlewell Drive, Bradford, was sentenced to 31 months in prison for two counts of burglary.

He was also given a four-month sentence for possession of an electric stun gun.

The trio were originally charged as part of an investigation into a series of offences where homes appeared to have been specifically targeted for high value gold jewellery.

This included a burglary at Sunny Bank Lane, Thornbury, and a further offence at Chatsworth Road, Pudsey, both on July 5.

Police were contacted by witnesses after the second incident.

The three men were then arrested following a pursuit by officers, the National Police Air Service helicopter and a police dog unit.

Detective Inspector Al Burns, of Leeds District Crime Team, said: “This is an excellent result as part of our ongoing work to bring to justice offenders who are involved in organised burglaries across Leeds.

“We hope the imprisonment of these men will provide suitable reassurance to our communities, particularly those who have been targeted for high-value Asian jewellery.

“The vigilance of community-spirited members of the public played a vital role in these men being caught and we urge people to continue to report any suspicious activity in their streets immediately so officers can take action.”