THIEVES of "mind-boggling impudence" stole £25,000 worth of York stone from people's gardens and driveways, York Crown Court heard.

Romany James, 55, and his accomplices disguised themselves as council workers in luminous or leather jackets as they toured North and West Yorkshire in two different vehicles, said Simon Kealey, prosecuting.

They reconnoitred properties before returning to dig up and steal paving slabs and other pieces of York stone from Huntington, Elvington, Knaresborough, South Milford, Harrogate and Leeds, among other places, during 15 months of crime.

"You have pleaded guilty to this conspiracy of wholesale thefts of mind-boggling impudence, masquerading as council workmen," Judge Tom Cracknell told James. He had caused so much distress to householders he deserved to go for jail for that alone.

He jailed James for 15 months.

James, of Cross Flatts Road, Leeds, at the time of his arrest, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to steal York stone between March 2000 and May 2001.

Mr Kealey said the conspirators got away with a total of £25,000 in paving slabs and stonework. They initially used a flat-back truck with an orange beacon on top and wore luminous jackets.

Later, they used another vehicle, and eyewitnesses saw James doing some of the driving.

They often visited a property shortly before they returned to remove paving slabs. If accosted on a reconnoitre, they claimed they were looking for scrap. If accosted while removing slabs, they claimed they were doing legitimate work.

Sometimes property owners returned home to find them in the process of removing stone. Sometimes they went twice to the same property. They targeted a wide range of properties, including some for sale.

For James, Derek Duffy said the thieves never used violence and left as soon as they were detected. They had only taken stone from gardens or walls and never gone into houses. Since being remanded in custody, James had been diagnosed as having a heart condition.

Updated: 16:25 Thursday, October 11, 2001