A TEENAGER who took part in a ram-raid on a service station near the city has been sentenced to 15 months detention.

Paul Howard was a passenger in a stolen Range Rover, which smashed through the front of the Elf garage in Powick, causing £11,452 damage.

He was caught on a security camera going into the premises to steal cigarettes.

The Range Rover, taken from The Butts, in Worcester, was chased by police through Dines Green after the raid, before it crashed.

The £4,000 vehicle was a write-off, said Paul Whitfield, prosecuting at Worcester Crown Court.

Eighteen-year-old Howard, of Larch Road, Tolladine, Worcester, admitted burglary, criminal damage and vehicle interference.

The Range Rover, belonging to Christopher Bell, was taken on the night of Saturday, November 13, 1999, and was used three hours later in the ram-raid, said Mr Whitfield. Howard was one of three men spotted on the CCTV cameras.

The vehicle reached up to 70mph as the driver tried to flee police.

After the crash, the occupants managed to get away.

Most of the stolen cigarettes were recovered, but Howard was not arrested until 10 months later.

He said he had been drinking and acted as lookout when accomplices stole the Range Rover.

Mary Loram, defending, said he did not know it was going to be used on a ram-raid and thought they were going to the garage for petrol.

He was scared when the raid happened and repeatedly begged the driver to stop.

Judge David McEvoy QC accepted that Howard was under the influence of others, but said he had still left the vehicle and stolen cigarettes.

He ordered him to be disqualified from driving for two years.