AN unemployed 23-year-old yesterday admitted being responsible for an 18-month campaign of tyre slashing which plagued drivers in his home town.

Darryl Baker pleaded guilty to slashing tyres on 23 vehicles in the Ashlands Road area of Northallerton, North Yorkshire.

The damage, which totals £3,600, took place between September 25, 2005 and January 19 this year.

Baker, dressed in a black sports jacket, blue jeans and white trainers, appeared at Northallerton Magistrates' Court where he spoke only to confirm his name and address and give his guilty pleas.

Trevor Beddoe, prosecuting, described Baker's actions as a "plague of criminal damage to vehicles in Northallerton".

He added: "There are 23 charges arising out of this and the damage varies between £60 right up to £300.

"The police had made strenuous efforts to catch the person or persons responsible for this damage, which culminated in an operation on January 19 this year."

The court heard that a police constable sitting in an unmarked car watched as Baker walked down Ashlands Court, Northallerton, at 12.30am on January 20, and crouched next a Ford Mondeo before walking off towards Valley Road.

The officer checked the car and found both tyres had been slashed. Baker was stopped three minutes later and while he was being searched, told police he was carrying a folding knife for his own protection.

It was seized by the officers and Baker was arrested.

Mr Beddoe said Baker has no previous convictions and the only item on his record is a caution in 2001 for being drunk and disorderly.

Baker, who is unemployed and claiming benefits, lives with his parents in Greenhowsyke Lane, Northallerton.

John Nixon, for Baker, did not give full mitigation, but said his client had already had a substantial restriction put on his liberty by being under a curfew since his arrest.

He said: "It does seem that my client from time to time did become very upset for various reasons, including having no contact with a child."

Magistrates adjourned the case until August 17 for the preparation of pre-sentence reports, but indicated they were thinking of a community pen-alty.

Chairwoman of the bench, Rita Twiss said: "Our intention is that you should be punished for your offending and be rehabilitated so you can understand why these things have been happening in your life and find a way of stopping them from happening."

The indication of a community sentence was criticised by one victim, who asked not to be named.

She said: "He is going to get off with nothing more than a slap on the wrists. Community service is not exactly a deterrent."

Police in Northallerton had investigated a further 133 instances of tyres being slashed, but Baker denied any involvement with that damage.

When contacted by The Northern Echo, the Crown Prosecution Service was unable to say what action would be taken in connection with those offences.