A PAIR of bungling bandits were caught after taking cocky selfies while they stole thousands of pounds from fruit machines.

The two men, who were found with balaclava masks, came unstuck when they decided to snap themselves celebrating, posing and grinning after pocketing the loot.

When police stopped Benjamin Robinson, 30 and Daniel Hutchinson, 24, they found more than £1,000 in pound coins in their car.

Officers also discovered about another £2,000 in notes.

Both men - who travelled all over the country breaking into fruit machines - appeared at Bradford Crown Court, today to be sentenced, after both previously pleading guilty to an offence of conspiracy to steal and another offence of possessing criminal property.

Robinson, of Harrogate Road, Bradford was jailed for 32 months, while his accomplice Hutchinson, of Damon Avenue, Bradford, received a six-month sentence, suspended for two years.

Their offences came to light when the car Robinson was driving was stopped near Skipton, shortly after midnight on June 27, 2014, when police spotted him speeding.

The court heard that when officers tried to flag it down, the car did not stop, and instead accelerated off - and had to be stopped a short distance away.

George Hazel-Owram, prosecuting, said that upon searching the Vauxhall Insignia police found nine metal wires hidden in the roof lining.

He added the police found "a pair of pliers, a screwdriver, a gas lighter, a further small screwdrivers and the nine metal wires bent into rather unusual shapes".

The collection of equipment, the court heard, was used to break into fruit machines.

Balaclavas were also found in the vehicle, along with the considerable amount of cash.

The court heard Robinson's phone was also checked and on it police found videos containing information about "how to commit the theft and instances of it occurring".

It is unclear who is carrying out the theft on the video.

Both men were arrested, interviewed and charged.

The court heard Robinson had a long criminal history including theft from gambling machines, and had carried out crimes all over the country, as far afield as Ipswich, Cornwall and the Isle of Wight.

Hutchinson only had one previous conviction - theft from an arcade machine.

Sentencing the pair, The Recorder of Bradford, Judge Roger Thomas QC, said they had carried out "sophisticated offences with significant planning acted over a substantial period of time, in short professional crime of its type".

Victoria Smith-Swain, for Hutchinson, said her client wanted to turn his life around.

Tahir Hanif, for Robinson, said his client had a long standing addiction to gambling, a pregnant girlfriend and had recently tried to stay out of trouble.

Speaking after the case, Detective Chief Inspector Matt Walker, of North Yorkshire Police, said: "We knew we hit the jackpot when we investigated these lemons.

"These offenders carried out a string of crimes with no thought for the businesses they were targeting - but ultimately their greed, arrogance and affinity for 'selfies' proved to be their downfall."

Det Ch Insp Walker added: "We're pleased that our operation to target cross-border criminals continues to disrupt the activities of offenders such as Hutchinson and Robinson.

"The investigation showed that that they were targeting fruit machines around the country.

"It sends out a clear message that anyone travelling into North Yorkshire to commit crime will be caught and brought to justice."