A TEENAGER who blew up a York post box and damaged the letters inside must pay £500 in compensation, a fine and court costs, magistrates declared.

Neil Philip Emmerson, 19, threw a firework into the red box in Main Street, Bishopthorpe and fled with others in a car. Behind him, he left the post-box door hanging from its hinges and burned mail inside, said Martin Butterworth, prosecuting. The cost of the damage, including the destroyed letters, was put at £250. Defence solicitor Andrew Craven said so-called friends had egged the suggestible Emmerson on to do the deed after spending all his savings.

"They have taken his money, taken his good character and now they have placed him before the court," said the solicitor.

Emmerson, of Fenton Lane, Church Fenton, pleaded guilty to criminal damage. York magistrates fined him £200 and ordered him to pay £250 to the Royal Mail and £50 prosecution costs.

Mr Butterworth said an eyewitness who was waiting in her own car in Main Street at about 8pm, on October 23, became suspicious when she saw how Emmerson kept looking about himself. Shortly afterwards, she heard a loud explosion that seemed to be inside a confined space and noticed another car driving away fast. She took its number, which she passed on to police, who used it to track down Emmerson.

He told police he had thrown a firework into the postbox, gone round the corner until he heard the explosion, then jumped into his friend's car and been driven off.

Mr Craven said Emmerson worked for his father's shopfitting business all over the country and was hoping to be a joiner.

But when in Church Fenton, he had fallen into bad company. The so-called friends had treated him as a "bank" because he had thousands of pounds in savings and persuaded him to loan them money or buy them drinks. He now had no savings.

On October 23, the friends had given him the firework and told him to throw it into the postbox. He had checked to make sure no-one was near enough to be injured and then threw it in.

He had now left his friends and his father was taking steps to ensure his time was better occupied.

Updated: 08:33 Thursday, November 20, 2003