TWO friends went armed with petrol bombs and homemade baseball bats to settle a family "vendetta", a court was told.

Christopher Parker, 27, planned to firebomb the car of a man he believed had smashed windows at his girlfriend's home.

He persuaded Timothy Bradley, 21, to drive after initially telling him that he wanted to go to a garage to buy petrol for his motorbike, Teesside Crown Court heard.

Graeme Gaston, prosecuting, said the pair were spotted by police in a Rover Metro car in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, during the early hours of October 19 last year.

The pair drove off - reaching speeds of 65mph in a 30mph zone - as Parker threw various items from the window.

They were stopped and police found four beer bottles containing a mixture of sugar, petrol and rags, said Mr Gaston. There was also a petrol container, lighter and baseball bats.

"The intention was to locate the third party's vehicle and firebomb it using the bottles," he said.

Parker told police that the pair had driven around for an hour but gave up after failing to find the car. It was then that they were spotted by the police patrol.

He said that the homemade baseball bats, which had protruding metal screws, were for protection.

Tim Bubb, for Parker, said he intended to take the law into his own hands because of a vendetta he believed was being carried out against him and his close relatives and friends.

Both men admitted possessing articles with intent to destroy and damage property and possession of an offensive weapon.

"The court should understand the woolly and drunken thinking that went into this," said Mr Bubb.

Deborah Sherwin, for Bradley, said he had tried to talk Parker out of the attack once he realised what his intentions were.

Judge George Moorhouse sentenced Parker, of Rowan Place, Newton Aycliffe, to a total of two years in jail.

Bradley, of Bates Close, Newton Aycliffe, was given a 220-hour community punishment order.