A TEENAGE dad who stole tens of thousands of pounds worth of quad bikes while in league with travellers has walked free from court.

Julian Webb was told he was escaping a prison term because he handed himself into police after committing the spate of thefts from farms across north and west Wiltshire.

Instead Recorder Alun Jenkins QC deferred passing sentence for six months telling the 18-year-old father-of-two that he was being given 'quite an opportunity'.

Kirsty Real, prosecuting, told Swindon crown court, that the string of offences took place between January and November last year.

She said matters came to light in December when Webb walked into a police station saying he wanted to wipe the slate clean and admit what he had done.

He told officers that he and others had broken into 19 properties, but Miss Real said only 14 of the matters linked up with reported offences.

As a result she said Webb was charged with seven matters and seven further offences were taken into consideration.

She said between April 18 and April 20 he took a £2,500 Honda quad bike after forcing a padlock at Manor Farm in Grittenham. Then in August he stole a motorcycle from a garden in Brinkworth.

He also took a Yamaha quad from Basset Down Farm, Wroughton, in November, a Honda TRX from Dunsford Farm, Uffcott, in June, and tools from Blackfords at Greenhill, Wootton Bassett, in March 2003.

Webb, of Railway Cottages, Brinkworth, pleaded guilty to four burglaries, three of taking without the owner's consent and asked for seven further burglaries to be taken into consideration.

At an earlier hearing the case was adjourned so Webb could speak to the police about the other people involved in committing the crimes.

However the court was told he didn't speak to them and failed to attend court for sentencing and had to be arrested and detained in custody.

Philip Warren, defending, said that while his client had a few previous convictions he had not committed any similar offences in the past.

Webb, he said, was 17 and 18 years old at the time of the offences and had owned up to what he had done after realising he had got in too deep.

At an earlier hearing John Elliot, for Webb, told magistrates: "He was working in consort with travellers. He carried out the crimes because he had no job but had two young children to support."

Barrie Hudson