By Roger Melton
NORTH Yorkshire Moors Railway members have expressed disappointment at ‘lenient’ sentences handed out to eight teenagers who trashed carriages on a historic train and caused £27,000 damage.
The group broke into carriages on one of the railway’s 1930s Gresley teak set trains stationed at Pickering station on July 23 last year. Every light fitting was smashed, mirrors were broken, furniture ripped and wooden panels damaged. 
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Food and wine stolen from the train was also eaten and drunk by the group and thrown over the carriages.
The damage was discovered by a member of rail staff. British Transport Police began an investigation and CCTV footage from a level crossing nearby captured the group in the area at the time of the incident. They were spoken to and charged with theft and criminal damage. All eight teenagers pleaded guilty.
On March 13 at Scarborough Magistrates’ Court, a 17-year-old boy from Pickering, who cannot be named because of his age, was ordered to pay compensation of £530 and will have to complete a 12-month youth offending panel contract.
The same day, two 17-year-old boys from Pickering were sentenced to a youth offending panel contract for six months and will have to pay fines and costs totalling £135 each.
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