A TEENAGE arsonist who went on the rampage “for the fun of it”

and left neighbours heavily out-of-pocket was yesterday locked up for a year-and-a-half.

Wesley Doran fire-bombed two cars and broke into three others parked outside the same complex on a night of mayhem in Middlesbrough town centre.

Just three weeks after fingerprints at the scene were matched to his and Doran was questioned, he was caught trying to steal a motorcycle with a friend.

Teesside Crown Court heard that the 19-year-old escaped from police, but his prints were again later found on the scooter, and he was arrested the next month.

Doran said that he planned to sell the bike, which was recovered and returned to its owner, and that he was under the influence of sleeping pills and alcohol.

After his arrest for the arson attacks, the teenager said he could not remember much about it because he had taken ten tablets and “was off his head”.

The court heard that residents heard a loud bang when Doran struck after midnight on October 18, last year, in a car park at Forster House, off Corporation Road.

Two suspects were seen fleeing before police found a Vauxhall Astra had been completely burnt out and a Peugeot 306 and contents had suffered fire damage.

Items including tools, a camping cooker, gas canister, a first-aid kit, a hard hat and goggles had been taken from the vehicles either fire-damaged or broken into.

Paul Abrahams, mitigating, said Doran had a blase attitude towards his offending, but had matured while spending time behind bars on remand for his crimes.

“He is described as committing the offences for the fun of it,” said Mr Abrahams. “The clock has now rolled on, and it would appear there has been a positive change.

“He has regretted his behaviour during his school years when he described himself as ‘dead naughty’. He has felt better since going into custody and completed a course on alcohol, and will not misuse it or sleeping tablets in the future.”

Doran, of Hubbard Walk, Middlesbrough, admitted two charges of arson and three of theft from a vehicle, as well as the November 22 theft of the motorbike.