Four teenagers ransacked a council depot following a drinking session and left a £2,000 trail of destruction in their wake.
Kyle Simpson, 19, Jamie Docherty, 17, Joshua Straub, and Steven Graham, 16, wrecked the building in Oban, leaving taxpayers to pick up the bill.
At the town’s sheriff court yesterday they were each ordered to pay £500 compensation for their rampage.
The sentence was welcomed by Oban councillor Roddy McCuish, who said he hoped it would send out a strong message.
“All of that damage would have to be paid for out of the public purse,” he said.
“The fact that they have to pay it back is a sign that this will not be tolerated in our area.”
The four youths were using the building which houses, the council’s fleet of gritters, as a drinking den.
They damaged kitchen equipment and flooded the premises before they were caught at the scene by police.
The group appeared at Oban Sheriff Court last month and admitted willfully and recklessly destroying or damaging property at the Argyll and Bute Council depot at Millpark on July 22.
An oven, a microwave, lockers, fixtures and fittings in a staff area were all vandalised during their wrecking spree.
When they reappeared in court yesterday for sentencing, fiscal depute Jenny Sapiano said they had caused £2,000 worth of damage to the council building.
Sheriff Douglas Small ordered them to pay compensation to the local authority and carry out unpaid work in the community.
Last night, Councillor McCuish said: “I am delighted in the sentence that the sheriff imposed.
“This sends out a clear deterrent and shows that any acts of vandalism against public or private property will not be tolerated in Oban.
“Any act of vandalism is unforgivable but the fact that these were facilities which our hard working council staff depended on going about their daily business to deliver much-needed services to the people of Lorn and the islands made it particularly uncalled for.”
Two of the youths also faced further charges arising from the incident.
Graham, of 1 Campbell Street, Oban, admitted resisting arrest and trying to jump from a police vehicle.
Docherty, of 18 Millpark Terrace, Oban, also faced a charge of carrying a Stanley knife without reasonable excuse.
He denied the charge, claiming he had been using it to change the strings on his guitar, but was found guilty by Sheriff Small following a trial last month.
Yesterday, Straub, of 25 Wellington Street, Dunoon, was sentenced to 200 hours of unpaid work in the community and placed on a one-year community payback order.
Simpson, of 9b Millpark Terrace, Oban, received 250 hours of unpaid work and Docherty 300 hours. They were also placed on one-year community payback orders.
Graham was sentenced to 280 hours of unpaid work and placed on a two-year community payback order.
