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Three Romanian men have been jailed for nine months each after pleading guilty to stealing metal from three locomotives worth ^140,000.

The damage caused by Mihai Antonala, Madalin Vladucu and Ciprian Dumitrascu was so severe that the companies who owned the locomotives had to scrap them.

The defendants, all from the Birmingham area, were snared following an investigation by Bristol-based CID officers into the thefts which took place at Calibration railway sidings in Gloucester between 24 March and 15 April 2009.

Nemesis Rail and Harry Needle Railroad Company owned the three locomotives that were stabled at the sidings behind Gloucester railway station.

The area is a restricted location with only railway staff holding a valid track safety training certificate allowed access.

The locomotives, two class 47s and a Class 31, were brought to Gloucester from Dartmoor and Carlisle for overhaul work which would have allowed them to become certified for hire on the rail network.

Locos 47 716 and 45 145 were both in working order and valued at around ^60,000 and ^45,000 respectively before the thieves struck.

Loco 31 415 was not in working order at the time of the metal thefts and was valued at around ^35,000.

Between 24 March and 15 April, Antonala, 24, Vladucu, 21, and Dumitrascu, 32, entered the locomotives and stripped radiators, cabling and connectors from the vehicles.

On April 14, officers from Gloucester Police stopped a Ford Escort car on Gouda Way, Gloucester. The vehicle was seized as its driver had no insurance cover. When police checked the vehicle, a large amount of heavy duty black cable was found in the boot. This was seized and later identified by rail staff as having been stolen from the damaged trains at Calibration sidings.

DNA evidence found in the cabs of the damaged locomotives was linked to DNA found in the Ford Escort car stopped by Gloucester Police. The DNA was matched to the three defendants who were arrested by BTP officers on 2 July at an address in Markby Road, Birmingham.

They were interviewed in the presence of a Romanian interpreter and while all three initially admitted having been to Gloucester, they insisted they had never been to the railway sidings or been anywhere near the locomotives. None of the men could explain how their DNA was found inside the cabs of the locomotives.

When the case went to court, all three defendants pleaded guilty to theft and were sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court on Wednesday 2 November to 36 weeks imprisonment each.

Detective Constable Danny Murphy of BTP CID said: ^The arrests of these three defendants followed a thorough investigation which including scenes of crime officer Matt Loverock spending several days working in cramped conditions inside the locomotives. He produced dozens of exhibits including the vital DNA evidence which linked police to Vladucu, Dumitrascu, and Antonala.^

So out in 4 1/2 months with good behaviour and ^140,000 better off.