Police offered a serving prisoner a KFC meal and access to the Facebook website among “inducements” to encourage him to confess to 94 unsolved crimes across Bradford, a judge has been told.

Clifford Westfall was taken out of jail over three days by police to help clear up unsolved crime, Bradford Crown Court heard.

Westfall says he was offered the inducements, including being taken home for a shower and a change of clothing, to admit to crimes in which property valued at more than £118,000 was stolen.

But his claims were described in court yesterday as “complete fabrication” by prosecuting barrister Katherine Walsh.

Westfall, 25, who was serving a five-month sentence for burglary, owned up to stealing property valued at £83,229 in 83 burglaries, mainly at schools and shops.

Schools included Nab Wood, Cottingley; Baildon Primary; Hanson School, Swain House, Bradford; St Bede’s Catholic Grammar, Heaton, Bradford, and Oakworth Primary, Keighley.

Westfall also admitted nine offences of taking vehicles valued at £34,400 without consent and stealing two worth £1,200.

Westfall, of Crag Road, Windhill, Shipley, told Bingley magistrates on January 12 he wanted to start a new life with a clean sheet.

He asked the court to take into consideration the 94 offences when he was sentenced for burglar from Prospect Works, Keighley, in October last year. He was then remanded in custody to Bradford Crown Court for sentence.

On February 17, his barrister Stephen Wood told the Crown Court his client no longer wanted to admit the 94 offences.

The judge asked the Crown Prosecution Service to indicate if Westfall was to be charged with the additional offences, or be sentenced for the single burglary.

Westfall’s solicitors then wrote to the CPS listing the alleged inducements. Mr Wood told the court yesterday Westfall had confessed to the crimes after police took him out of prison over three days.

“The defendant asserts that these admissions were obtained as a result of inducements offered to him by a number of police officers,” Mr Wood said.

He told the court Westfall was offered a shower and change of clothing, taken to KFC and allowed to use Facebook.

Miss Walsh said Westfall made no mention of inducements when he admitted the 94 offences in front of Bingley magistrates.

Judge Shaun Spencer QC told Westfall: “I understand you deny these offences and you say you only admitted them because you were offered various favours by the interviewing police officers. I have no means of knowing whether that is right or not.”

The judge warned Westfall he could still be prosecuted for the other offences. He jailed him for four months for the burglary he pleaded guilty to.

After the case, a CPS spokesman said the police had “indicated” to it that no inducements had been offered to the defendant to admit any of the offences and that advice was forwarded to Prosecuting counsel. She said: “The decision as to whether or not offences on the schedule are to be admitted is entirely one for the defendant.”

Police said the allegations had been refuted in court and the force did not want to comment further.