Three masked burglars, one armed with an axe and a screwdriver, were caught by police inside a Keighley pub they were rifling.

Officers had been called by Naomi Lazenby, 31, assistant manager of the Three Acres pub in Bingley Road, after she was woken by the intruders early on Wednesday, magistrates in Bingley heard yesterday.

Paul Creasey, 25, of Woodhouse Avenue, Keighley, Mark O’Hara, 39, of Woodhouse Way, Keighley, and Matthew Porter, 25, of no fixed address, all pleaded guilty to entering the pub as trespassers with the intent to steal.

The Court heard Miss Lazenby was woken by an alarm at 4.40am and called police after seeing the masked men on a CCTV system.

Officers found O’Hara holding an axe, used for chopping wood in the pub, and carrying a screwdriver. Bottles of drinks had been placed into a bucket with the intention of being taken away, magistrates were told.

The men had smashed a window in the children’s play area in order to enter the building.

Amjid Khan, representing Creasy, said his client had become drunk after having an argument with his girlfriend and was unable to recall much of what had happened.

He said Creasy was unaware the pub was occupied and all items handled by the trio had been recovered by police.

All three defendants were committed to Bradford Crown Court for sentencing on Thursday, July 14.

O’Hara and Creasy were released on conditional bail and Porter was remanded in custody.

Speaking after the case, Miss Lazenby, who had been alone in the pub, admitted she had been terrified as she watched the burglars on the CCTV system. She said: “I didn’t know what it was – adrenaline or fear – there was everything there. My first thought was, ‘I’m here by myself’, and obviously I wanted to protect what was here, so I phoned the police.

“It took six minutes for them to arrive. It seemed a lot longer to me. I was on the phone with the operator the whole time.”

She added: “I felt scared but I was trying to give as much information as possible. I felt the intruders didn’t know I was there. When the police came, it was a huge relief.”

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