A TEENAGER broke into a school because he wanted to slide along the floors like he did when he was a pupil, a court heard yesterday.

Lee George Boulton, 19, admitted a charge of burglary with intent to steal at Northallerton Magistrates Court.

He was given a six month community order, 80 hours of unpaid work and ordered to pay £150 costs.

The court heard that Boulton, of Olliver Road, Richmond, was walking home from a night out in the early hours of November 6 last year when he decided to go into Richmond Middle School.

He was seen by CCTV operators who called police. A dog handler found him hiding below a boiler.

Nothing was taken from the school.

In mitigation, his solicitor, Alan Meehan, said Boulton was drunk at the time of the incident.

"This young man seems to have the making of an absolutely horrendous drink problem," he said.

"He thought it would be fun to go into the school and start sliding about round the floors as he did when he was a pupil at that school."

He added that Boulton was now seeking help to address his drinking.