THEY targeted 4x4s and other high-value vehicles parked in isolated locations across North and East Yorkshire.

Their "planned and organised" stealing spree went on over a six-month period, a court was told.

But police were on the trail of the thieves, sometimes pursuing stolen vehicles through the countryside, and at other times tracking them down through evidence such as fingerprints they had left behind.

Today, five young men, mostly from the York area, were behind bars after being brought to justice - including one convicted of conspiracy to steal cars.

Tom Storey, prosecuting, told Leeds Crown Court that they stole or tried to steal relatively high-value vehicles from largely rural locations in North and East Yorkshire, over six months in the middle of 2005.

He said that on one occasion, a caravan was stolen from a site at Dunnington, but the theft was picked up on CCTV and police pursued the thieves to Osbaldwick Lane, York, where the caravan became detached from the Escort that was towing it and crashed.

On another occasion, a 4x4 was stolen from an isolated property in the Pickering area, but the thieves were spotted and police pursued the vehicle along the A169 and then the A64 towards York.

It was eventually stopped after police boxed it in at the Hopgrove roundabout near York. Other vehicles targeted included a Nissan Novara while it was being valeted at a garage in Knaresborough, a Toyota pick-up truck from a farm at Wilberfoss, a Ford Transit at Sutton-on-Derwent, near York, and a trailer at a farm in Allerthorpe, near Pocklington.

On some occasions, police used fingerprint evidence to pinpoint who had been in the vehicles, he said.

Joe Gaskin, 28, of Diamond Street, The Groves, York, was jailed for 15 months after being convicted at an earlier hearing of conspiracy to steal vehicles.

Tom Waley said in mitigation that he had never before been convicted of this type of offence.

Four others were sentenced after pleading guilty at earlier hearings to thefts or attempted thefts. Their defending counsel asked for credit to be given to them when sentencing because of their admissions of guilt, and spoke of the serious impact on their families of imprisonment.

Thomas Dear, 20, formerly of Kirksandal, Doncaster, was sent to a young offenders' institution for two years after admitting three attempted thefts of vehicles and a theft.

Alan Tunny, 23, of Osbaldwick Caravan Site, was jailed for 12 months for stealing a vehicle.

Tommy Lee Tunny, 24, of Outgang Lane, Osbaldwick, was jailed for ten months for theft.

Tommy Lee Smith, 26, of Blackpool, was jailed for 16 months for two thefts and an attempted theft.