A serial burglar has been warned he faces custody after admitting new offences.

Clifford Westfall, 26, pleaded guilty to four offences of burglary when he appeared at Bradford Crown Court yesterday.

He admitted stealing cash from Baildon C of E School; stealing three cameras valued at £500 from the Bon Bon day nursery in Shipley; burglary with intent to steal at Oakworth Primary School in Keighley and stealing 21 laptop computers valued at £6,774 in a burglary at Belle Vue Girls’ School, in Thorn Lane, Heaton, Bradford. All the offences took place in September and October 2009.

His barrister, David McGonigal, admitted the defendant was expecting a custodial sentence and asked for a pre-sentence report.

Urging that Westfall, of Whin Knoll Avenue, Shann Park, Keighley, had his bail extended until sentencing, Mr McGonigal said that, although the defendant had committed offences in the past, he had been out of trouble since October 2009.

He said Westfall served a five-month prison sentence for burglary in November 2009, and was given a four-month jail sentence in March last year for another burglary. But he had been released from custody on April 1 last year and had not committed any offences since.

Mr McGonigal told the court: “He is a man who has gone to some lengths to try and change his ways, primarily by staying out of trouble.”

He said Westfall was in a stable relationship and his girlfriend was expecting a child in June.

He was taking a business school course which would enable him to start work on building sites and was due to go on another course to get a fork lift truck licence.

“He wants to put his offending behind him,” said Mr McGonigal.

The judge, recorder Simon Jackson QC, said he had taken the view that Westfall should be remanded in custody because of the seriousness of the offences, targeted burglaries with the prospect of high value goods.

But he said: “I have been impressed that since your release from custody you have been out of trouble for the best part of 12 months.”

Westfall was remanded on conditional bail, including a curfew at his home address between 7pm and 7am.

He will be sentenced next month.