A man stole more than £15,000 of power tools from work vans across the county including Sutton, magistrates heard.

Stephen Britton, 43, admitted eight thefts between June and September, 2012, when he appeared at Skipton Magistrates Court on Friday.

They included the theft of £1,785 of tools from a van parked overnight in North Street, Sutton, on November 15. Prosecuting, Hilary Reece said Britton had targeted work vans and sold the power tools to fund his drinking at the time.

The thefts took place across Yorkshire and also in various other parts of the country, and included 30 others to be taken into consideration, said Mrs Reece.

Britton, of Greenfield Avenue, Windhill, was sent to Bradford Crown Court for sentencing on September 27.