A FOOTBALLER from East Yorkshire found the police force was soon with him after he joined an attack on a Star Wars figure at a York garage.

Josh Martin was on a night out in the city with team-mates when their van pulled into the BP garage in Hull Road last November and tried to drag a six-feet tall promotional model of an Imperial Stormtrooper from the classic sci-fi films out of the store.

The prank caused almost £300 of damage and led to the 26-year-old, of Lansdowne Road, Bridlington, being arrested along with another member of the group.

Katherine Reeve, prosecuting, told York Magistrates’ Court the incident happened in the early hours of November 26.

“Six men got out of the van and went into the premises.

“Two of the men attempted to drag the life-size Stormtrooper mannequin out of the service station and this caused damage to the stand to which it was fixed. When interviewed, Martin said he could not remember the full incident and what had actually happened.”

She said the value of the figure was about £3,000 and the cost of the damage came to £293.75.

Another member of the team had since been ordered to pay compensation after also being charged over the incident, she said.

Julian Tanikal, defending Martin, said: “They were a group who played football together and were on a night out.

“It was a case of high jinks when they started messing around with the Stormtrooper and unfortunately they caused damage to it, but there was nothing malicious to it. They went too far in their frivolity.”

Martin admitted criminal damage and was given a six-month conditional discharge.