A hardcore of teenagers is responsible for more than half of all car thefts in Bradford.

Just 20 lads are causing mayhem stealing hundreds of cars, tearing round estate roads and then dumping the vehicles on backstreets.

Police are keeping tabs on half a dozen car-thief youngsters in Bradford South, a dozen in Bradford North and five in Keighley.

Detective Sergeant Mark Strother, head of the vehicle crime team for Bradford South Police, said: "There is in the region of half a dozen hardcore people in our area who steal cars because they get a buzz out of it."

The thieves were committing crime on a daily basis with four or five 'hangers on' who join them some of the time in the early hours on estates such as Buttershaw, Bierley and Wyke.

In the Bradford North division there are around a dozen youngsters, in Allerton, Manningham and Eccleshill, responsible for between 60 and 70 per cent of car thefts.

And in Keighley division just five teenagers take up to 50 per cent of car thefts.

This week, 18-year-olds Steven Stewart and Ryan Barraclough admitted 217 'joyriding' offences when they appeared before Bradford magistrates.

The pair, of Wyke, escaped being locked up after the court was told they wanted to "wipe the slate clean" by clearing up many other car thefts.

They were given community rehabilitation and community punishment orders after the court heard they wanted to 'move on' from a culture where taking other people's cars was a way of life.

The court was told how one stolen car was driven erratically through an estate at Wyke at 40mph, weaved around concrete bollards and forced people to jump out of the way and a taxi driver to swerve to avoid a collision as police pursued the pair.

Det Sgt Strother said Stewart and Barraclough were the exception to the rule. "There are other people involved in stealing cars, but nothing like the way they went about it."

In the 12 months to the end of March this year, there were 1,387 car thefts in Bradford South, a decrease of 494.

He said people like Stewart and Barraclough could make a severe dent on the figures.

"If you take these people out of the equation you have precious few car thefts left. They do not steal cars to commit other offences, it is for the fun of driving about in cars that they shouldn't be."

Police are adopting a three-pronged strategy to tackle the car theft craze - arrests, education and disruption tactics.

Said Det Sgt Strother: "At 14, you are going to be led by peer pressure and you might not know the consequences at that age. A lot of young lads drive dangerously at times.

"We try to put across that it is not just joyriding. It might be fun to them but what they are doing is dangerous. If we can get them to see what the problems are, hopefully it will stop them doing it.

"We will arrest a lot of people as well. Last year we arrested and dealt with just over 200 people for stealing cars or from them."

He said officers drew up a top ten list of offenders who were targeted with disruption techniques.

"We will visit these people on a daily basis and speak to them and see what their movements are and when they are due at court.

"If they are not at their home addresses we will track them down and get to know where they operate. One or two are not willing to communicate with us but mostly they are quite receptive.

"Disruption techniques have had a positive effect on crime figures. If they think the police don't know who they are or where they are committing the offences they are going to think they are not going to get caught. But when we are seeing them on a daily basis it puts pressure on them. The spotlight is on them and it has an effect."

However, cases that get to court rarely result in a prison sentence to deter other offenders.

All 'taking without consent' offences are dealt with by magistrates who work within national sentencing guidelines which suggest community punishments for first offenders.

Summary offences also include: allowing oneself to be driven in a vehicle without consent; driving a vehicle knowing it had been taken without consent, and damaging other property, below the value of £5,000, after taking without consent.

The maximum sentences for the summary offences are a £5,000 fine and/or six months custody, with the option of driving disqualification.

Aggravated vehicle taking case, which involves dangerous driving - often where a police pursuit is involved - can be dealt with by magistrates or at the crown court where sentencing options include prison.