Menston vandals are spotted on the internet (From Wharfedale Observer)

Menston vandals are spotted on the internet

6:57pm Wednesday 17th October 2007 in Local news By Andrea Hardaker

A group of youths who filmed themselves taking part in a £270 wrecking spree have been reprimanded by police - after posting footage of their antics on the internet.

The youngsters, all aged 16, photographed themselves climbing over the bonnet of a car and vandalising a sign in Menston.

They then proudly posted the images, taken on a mobile phone, on the on-line networking site Facebook.

But within days of appearing on-line, the photographs were reported to Police Community Support officers (PCSOs) and the youngsters were later arrested.

Four of them have been reprimanded.

Sergeant Steve Greenbanks, of West Yorkshire Police said: "The offences were mainly causing damage to cars and property.

"The offences hadn't even been reported to the police and without the help of the individual who reported the footage to the PCSOs, we may never have caught the culprits.

"It helped that the culprits were daft enough to put themselves on the internet. We are more than happy to use good evidence to get a result and we would like to thank the member of the public who alerted us to the crimes."

The Facebook footage showed the youngsters climbing over the bonnet of a Ford Fiesta parked on Brooklands Lane. They later went on to vandalise a sign outside Menston Social Club.

The arrests were made as part of Operation Kettle Stitch - a clamp down on criminal damage in the area.

A total of 12 arrests around the Keighley, Skipton and Menston area were made as part of the Operation, which took place over the weekend.

Inspector Mark Allsop, of Keighley Police said: "It was a member of the public who brought the footage of the Menston youngsters to our attention. We are always interested in that sort of information and will act on it. Hopefully the reprimand will put these kids back on the straight and narrow."