NOBODY will be punished for last autumn's telephone box explosions in and around York, the Evening Press has learned.

Seven boxes across the city exploded after hooligans, believed to be teenagers, threw fireworks into them in the run-up to Bonfire Night last year.

Two people were injured, including Martyn Miller, 37. He is permanently scarred after a phone box exploded as he was cycling past it, blasting him across Melrosegate in Tang Hall. The box's door smashed into his leg.

He now fears the lack of convictions will hinder his bid to get compensation for his injury from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board.

The spate of explosions prompted an all-party city council effort headed by Coun Mark Waudby to persuade European and British MPs to crack down on firework misuse.

It emerged this week that despite several police investigations and a months-long court case, no one has been or will be convicted or punished for the vandalism.

"I am lucky to be here," said Mr Miller, co-operative director of York Cycleworks. "It is absolutely incredible what people get away with."

He said he feared the lack of justice could mean similar incidents in the future.

Coun Waudby said: "It means those individuals in society who seem to get some kind of depraved pleasure from blowing up phone boxes and messing about with fireworks have been given the green light."

On October 13, 2003, four teenagers were arrested soon after and close to where Murton's only telephone box exploded.

Two youths aged 13 and 15 from east York, Richard Malcolm Pilcher, 18, of Etty Avenue, Tang Hall, and Shaun Michael Thompson, 20, of Osbaldwick, appeared in court a few days later.

But they denied criminal damage of the Murton phone box, and said there had been other groups of people nearby who could have committed the crime. The case against them was dropped.

Rob Turnbull, North Yorkshire's Chief Crown Prosecutor, said that despite a "lot of correspondence" with police, prosecutors did not have the evidence to prove that the four were responsible.

Chief Inspector Andy Bell, York district commander, said: "There has been an extensive investigation and obviously I am disappointed with the outcome."

The CPS has no cases pending for phone box vandalism.

Updated: 09:07 Saturday, June 05, 2004