A HOMELESS teenager who walked into a police station and asked officers to arrest him, escaped a custodial sentence yesterday.

Harrogate magistrates freed Craig Grant, 19, to undergo a 28-day assessment at a hostel in Wakefield, where he will receive help with his drink problems.

Magistrate Eric Fell told Grant, once of Ripon Road, Harrogate, that custody had been a consideration but the court wanted to help him in his desire to rid himself of his problems.

He said: ''Alcohol is a factor in most of your offending and you have to get rid of this problem if you are going to move forward. We need you to show us you really do mean to change your life.''

Grant, who was bailed to the hostel until January 19, had pleaded guilty to theft, aggravated vehicle taking and two counts of driving while disqualified and asked for five more theft offences and two of vehicle taking to be considered.

Mark Haigh, prosecuting, said Grant had targeted an off-licence on King's Road, Harrogate, for drinks thefts over a few days up to December 1 and had then walked into Harrogate police station and given himself up.

In interview he had confessed to taking a Vauxhall Astra in Harrogate and driving it around until it ran out of petrol.

He then tried to take a van but fell asleep in it before driving off in a Nissan and crashing it into an Audi Quattro and a Ford Fiesta causing damage totalling £650.

In mitigation, Sarah Waddington said Grant was a vulnerable young man with no real home or roots.

She said his recent spate of offending had followed increasing desperation at his plight.