A MAN has appeared in court charged with stealing tools and gardening equipment from different locations in the Bradford district.

Christopher Brookes, 53, was caught on CCTV loading his red Volkswagen Golf with gardening equipment and tools stolen from sites on the same day.

His theft spree started when he stole a Bosch sander worth £175 from the Masonic Hall, Milley Key, Keighley.

Brookes then stole two strimmers, a hedge strimmer, a lamp and a mirror, worth a total of £375, from Moorlodge Country Retreat in Keighley.

Accompanied by a female passenger in his car, Brookes then stole a hammer, a wrench and other general tools, which were in an orange Sports Direct bag, worth between £60 to £80 from Moor Lodge Farm, Keighley. A couple of days later the female passenger returned to the farm to hand back the bag of tools with a note which read ‘sorry’.

Brookes, of Lockside, Blackburn, handed himself into police and all of the thefts took place on September 6, 2021.

He was sentenced for three charges of burglary other than dwelling – theft at Bradford Crown Court on December 7.

Brookes was handed a two-year community order and told to carry out 120 hours unpaid work in the community.