A PAIR of teenagers who filmed themselves breaking into and burning down a caravan have avoided a custodial sentence.

The youths - who cannot be named - appeared before magistrates in York this week after they pleaded guilty to arson of the 40-foot static caravan - in Little Smeaton, south of Selby, in November last year.

The court heard both boys - who were aged 17 and one day over 18 at the time of the offence and are both from the Doncaster area - had been drinking the previous evening and again that day, before they broke the window of the caravan and used deodorant to start a fire.

Magistrates were shown a video made by the older boy on his mobile phone which showed the 17-year-old cutting his hand on the broken glass, before lighting the fire which completely destroyed the mobile home.

The older boy was issued with 12-month referral order, which magistrate Pauline Wilkinson said was “the longest, most serious order we can give”, while the younger boy was issued with a 12-month supervision order. Each was ordered to pay £750 compensation to the owner.

Mrs Wilkinson said: “You have been very near a custodial sentence.”