THREE Barnsley men who stole 23 expensive cars after arranging test drives have been jailed.
Ernest Moate, Richard MacInnes and Daniel Banks were part of a gang which targeted dealers and private sellers to steal new and second-hand cars worth almost £300,000.
They would arrange test drives in secluded areas before stealing the cars after distracting salesmen or the owners.
The cars taken by the gang were then stripped down for parts. Only three were recovered.
The gang was caught when a Land Rover which had been fitted with a tracking device was traced by police to a garage belonging to Banks within half an hour of it being stolen.
It was already being stripped down and the bonnet and doors were missing.
Ringleader Moate, 61, described in court as a "professional criminal", was jailed for five-and-a-half years after he was convicted of conspiracy to steal motor vehicles.
MacInnes, 38, was jailed for two years and four months for conspiracy to steal vehicles and failing to attend court, while 24-year-old Banks was jailed for 18 months for handling stolen vehicles.
