A Keighley man has been told he faces a possible high level community order for handling stolen mountain bikes, which together were worth more than £4,000.

Jack Harrison admitted three counts of handling bikes stolen from garden sheds and a garage – all on January 29 – when he appeared at Skipton Magistrates’ Court.

Harrison, 25, who had denied the original charge of theft, pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of handling, and the theft charges were withdrawn.

Harrison and another, unidentified man, were in the process of unloading three bikes from a people carrier taxi in Keighley in the early hours when they were seen by a passing police officer, the court heard.

The Keighley taxi firm had received a call at 2.50am from a woman asking for two friends to be collected from Skipton Hospital car park, and requested a people carrier vehicle.

During the journey to Keighley, the men, including Harrison, said the bikes had been the result of a ‘night’s grafting’,” said prosecutor, Hilary Reece.

When Harrison was arrested, he described how he had received a telephone call from someone late at night asking whether he would like to buy a bike.

He admitted buying one of the bikes and assisting in transporting the other two, but denied having anything to do with the thefts and refused to identify the other man.

In mitigation, Gulfraz Khan said all three bikes had been returned to their owners.

He said Harrison had paid £200 for one of the bikes, and did not want to identify the other man for fear of reprisals.

He added Harrison, whom the court heard received a community order in 2011, also for handling stolen goods, had recently moved in with his long-term partner and had not been in trouble for two years.

Magistrates told Harrison, of Park Lane, they were asking for a full report before sentencing, and were looking at a medium to high level order, including supervision, unpaid work and a curfew.