A JUDGE has warned that those who cause long train delays and cost Network Rail millions of pounds by stealing signal cable will be jailed.

Judge Andrew Stubbs QC was speaking as he sentenced a gang who targeted the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and Esk Valley line.

Anthony Moore, prosecuting, said the four in the dock of York Crown Court, together with another man already serving five years, stole items from a depot at the heritage railway and signal cable from tracksides and sold the loot to scrap merchants in Middlesbrough in 2013 and early 2014.

On one occasion, three of the gang arrived with nearly 150kg of stolen cable at a merchants while police were there. The cables were supposed to improve train times and reliability, he said.

The judge said: “Theft from the trackside of the railway is a blight on the economy and a blight on the people who use it. Immediate prison sentences will be imposed for those who do this in future.”

But as none had reoffended in the four years since the crimes, he suspended prison sentences on three of them for 18 months each. The fourth received a community order.

David Alan Sayers, 39, of Chapel Street, Skinningrove, near Saltburn, admitted handling metal items stolen from the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and cable theft. He was given 16-months suspended on condition he does 180 hours’ unpaid work and ordered to pay £800 compensation.

Ricky Bede Bowman, 33, of Larkswood Road, Redcar, admitted handling stolen goods and was given eight-months suspended on condition he does 90 hours’ unpaid work and ordered to pay £800 costs.

Jason Lee Hogarth, 43, of High Street, Skinningrove, admitted theft and handling stolen goods and was given a 14-months suspended on condition he does 180 hours’ unpaid work. Robert McConnell, 31, of Angling Green, Skinningrove, admitted handling stolen goods and received a community order with 60 hours’ unpaid work.

Lawyers for the four said they were remorseful.

Stephen Neate, 33, of Chapel Street, Skinningrove, was jailed for five years some months ago for a series of rural crimes including 12 months for his railway crimes.