A TEENAGER who set fire to his friend's dad's car after a drunken row, caused £11,000 worth of damage.

Stuart Gerald Grinton, 18, of Flaxfield Road, Beaminster, pleaded guilty to a charge of arson before Weymouth magistrates.

He admitted damaging a Mitsubishi Carisma car belonging to Malcolm Dewar in the early hours of September 5.

Elizabeth Valera, prosecuting, told the court that Grinton had spent the Saturday drinking and by the evening he was drunk.

She said Grinton had had an argument with Mr Dewar's son Steven during the day.

At around 1am he was dropped off at the house in Gerrards Green where he was staying, got some petrol and took it to the nearby Dewar family home.

Grinton poured it over the bonnet of a car parked outside the property, set it alight and ran away.

Ms Valera told the court: "The total cost of the damage was £11,059.59p."

She told the court that the destroyed car was worth £10,500 and the contents were also irreparably damaged, including 27 CDs, a pair of binoculars, a mobile phone and a jacket.

Simon Lacey, defending, said Grinton, had been left without 'a lot of positive influence since he was 16' because his father had emigrated to New Zealand leaving Grinton in the care of his grandmother.

Grinton was remorseful for his actions and had admitted his action to Mrs Dewar the next morning.

He then handed himself into the police.

Mr Lacey said: "I know that he would welcome skills training.

"He didn't work too well at school and he realises that he has got to get some skills to get on in life.

"He wants to compensate the Dewars."

Grinton was given a 240-hour enhanced community punishment order for the offence.

He was ordered to pay £659.99 compensation to the Dewars for the uninsured items and the £100 insurance excess at a rate of £10 a week.

He was also given a one-year conditional discharge for failing to turn up at an earlier hearing.