Staff at Yorkshire Post Newspapers confronted two men – one armed with a knife – when they were seen prowling in the corridors of the group’s ofices.

Security officer Kevin Gairn and pre-press worker Richard Stephenson spotted the intruders walking along a corridor shortly after 6pm on October 4 last year.

The newspaper pair went to investigate and found the intruders hiding in a darkened office.

Pre-press worker Richard asked them to come out and identify themselves, and a struggle followed in which he suffered an injury to his hand.

Bradford man Robert Philpotts, (23), has now been jailed for two years after pleading guilty to charges of burglary with intent to steal and assaulting an employee with intent to resist detention.

Another man has not yet been traced.

Leeds Crown Court heard how the pair had sneaked past security at the Wellington Street building in Leeds before the alarm was raised.

Tim Stead, for Philpotts, claimed the knife he had been carrying was an item of cutlery which he only used for opening doors and was not intended to injure anybody.

He said: “Mr Stephenson suffered a minor injury which was accidental in a bid to escape.”

Passing sentence, Judge Kerry Macgill told Philpotts he had an extensive criminal record including offences of burglary and dishonesty.

He said: “You decided to sneak into the building and see what you could find.

“You were in possession of a knife and I accept that was to be used to open locked doors.

“While you were inside the building scouting around you were faced by two brave employees and, when challenged, you ran off.”