TWO teenage graffiti vandals who filmed themselves causing £30,000 of damage to a rail network have been locked up for a total of three-and-a-half years.

Luc Hunter, aged 18, of Waldegrave Road, Crystal Palace, and 19-year-old James Buckett took photos of themselves spray-painting trains and railway property for nearly two years.

Thameslink, Southeastern Trains and Croydon Thameslink were among the companies affected.

The pair targeted property at Crystal Palace, Orpington, Bexley, Norwood, Purley, Croydon, Brighton and Crawley.

Sally Mertens, prosecuting, said: "When they were shown the photographs they admitted everything."

Judge Paul Worsley QC said: "You did this three nights a week from 10pm to 7am.

"There was no justification whatsoever for this anti-social behaviour."

The judge sentenced Buckett to two years' detention in a young offenders' institution and Hunter, a labourer, to 18 months' detention.

Buckett also received a 10-year Asbo preventing him from going on to restricted rail property with paint cans, marker pens and other paraphernalia.

Hunter was given a five-year Asbo in the same terms.

Ms Mertens told Middlesex Guildhall Crown Court on September 1: "The photographs were put in for development at a shop and they alerted police."

Detectives discovered pictures of four trains put out of use at a cost of £19,320 after the vandals targeted Orpington rail station over the weekend of August 27, last year.

In one assault on Beckenham Road Bridge they caused £5,000 of damage.

Police first raided Buckett's home in December last year where they found videos on his mobile phone.

He admitted to being behind the tag SOCA and when Hunter was traced from photographs he admitted being KROS.

Buckett claimed he had no idea of the levels of destruction he was causing, seeing the scheme as a "misguided hobby".

He has a similar previous conviction in May last year for causing £400 of damage after spraying a brick wall in Caterham.

Buckett, of Church Lane, Warlingham, admitted 10 counts of criminal damage between January 2004 and December last year and asked for a further 62 offences to be taken into consideration.

Hunter admitted eight counts of criminal damage and asked for 14 offences to be taken into consideration.