Two teenage boys – one a trainee butcher – admitted sawing off the head of a bright pink, life-sized fibreglass ‘piggy bank’ sheep and snatching cash for two charities.

The theft from the sculpture outside Skipton Town Hall was one of a spree of nine offences in Skipton over 18 days.

They involved a burglary and attempted break-ins at a number of shops.

The two 16-year-olds, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty at Skipton Youth Court yesterday to stealing cash from the sheep on October 27 and to burgling Dalesway News in Skipton, on November 9, and stealing goods valued at £113.

One of the boys, who is training as a plasterer, told magistrates: “It was an adrenaline rush so we kept doing it. I didn’t think about it at the time but we shouldn’t have done it and I’m sorry.”

Alison Whiteley, prosecuting, said the boys used a saw to remove the head of the sheep.

David Parker, Skipton Town Council’s chief officer, reckoned there was up to £1,000 stolen but, when interviewed, the youths said they took £185.

They went to Tesco in town and turned the coins into notes at a machine. “The money was destined for the Alzheimer’s Society and Parkinson’s Disease Society,” said Mr Parker.

The boys struck at Dalesway News at 4am on November 9 by using a crow bar to force a shutter but were spotted on CCTV. They took stock valued at £113, some of which was later discovered by police at the home they shared.

When arrested they asked for a further seven charges to be taken into account, beginning with a break in at Stamforth’s Butchers at Mill Bridge, Skipton.

They struck at Butterfields Electrical in Croft Street, stealing a lap top and games consul.

They were back at Butterfields nine days later but failed to break in.

John Mewies, for the youths, told magistrates they should be given credit for confessing to the seven offences taken into account.

“They got into a pattern of offending over 18 days which literally spiralled out of control. They were committed on impulse and there was no pre-planning.”

Magistrates sentenced one youth to an 11 months supervised referral order and told him to pay £500 compensation and adjourned sentencing on his co-accused, ordering a pre-sentence report.