A LEFTWICH teenager involved in the theft of more than £2,000 worth of copper cable has appeared before magistrates.

The 16-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to theft at Vale Royal Youth Court on Wednesday.

But the court agreed the teenager had been “naive”, and was duped into becoming an accessory by two older men with “substantial” criminal records.

Carolyn Viviani, prosecuting, said a man working on the roof of a building at Mickle Trafford became suspicious after spotting a group of men wearing high visibility jackets loitering near an open manhole cover on April 13 last year.

The following day the witness saw the defendant and two other men in the area again and called police.

Officers arrived within minutes and saw the copper cable on the side of the road near the defendants’ truck.

James Baggaley, defending, said the teenager had been recruited on the second day to help shift the metal after the two adults pilfered it from an underground chamber.

“He was approached by two chaps and asked if he wanted to carry out some labouring work,” he said. “He was going to get £30-40 for a day’s work and for a lad with no income it was too good an opportunity to refuse.

“He has perhaps been a little naive in associating with these gentlemen in suspicious circumstances and, in hindsight, he would not act in that way in the future.”

The youth, who had no previous convictions, was given a four-month referral order and told to pay £200 compensation to BT.