A TEENAGE girl who went on a vandalism spree with friends drank upwards of two-and-a-half litres of cider a day, a court heard yesterday.

The 17-year-old, who can- not be named for legal reasons, had also been involved in an attack on a university lecturer after he spotted her and three others damaging cars in the Victoria Road area of Darlington.

Darlington Youth Court was told how the girl had taken up with a new set of friends.

In one drink-fuelled incident, she wrote graffiti on a community bus owned by Darlington Borough Council, leaving it in need of a respray, said Derek Walton, prosecuting.

On May 6 this year, she and three friends had been vandalising cars when the lecturer came out of his house and asked what was going on, said Mr Walton.

After some verbal abuse, the girl held him and he was assaulted by other members of the group who broke his nose, magistrates were told.

On Tuesday this week, she became abusive at Darlington Police Station after being arrested in North Lodge Park for drinking in public - a breach of bail conditions, said Mr Walton.

Callum Terry, representing the girl, said: "There are two common denominators in the defendant's behaviour - alcohol and her peers.

"It is only something that has developed over the past six or seven months. I think it is largely related to friends and acquaintances she has let herself be with."

The girl pleaded guilty to charges of drunk and disorderly, using abusive or insulting words or behaviour, damaging the community bus, assault, five counts of damaging cars, obstructing a police officer and violent behaviour.

She also admitted four breaches of conditional discharges.

The magistrates imposed a 12-month supervision order under the guidance of youth offending workers, including a six-month intensive surveillance and supervision order, and a three-month curfew.

Compensation was awarded to two of the car owners, the council and to the assaulted man, totalling £405. The girl was ordered to pay £50 costs.