A Dumbarton yob who climbed over a fence into a building site before causing thousands of pounds worth of damage won't have to pay back a penny, a judge has decided.

Ewan McAlpine entered the cab of a vehicle on the site, broke control stalks in the vehicle from their mountings, and struck warning beacons, resulting in irreparable damage.

The 22-year-old gained entry to the site, in Kessington Road, Bearsden, on September 6, 2020.

McAlpine appeared at Dumbarton Sheriff Court for sentencing on June 7, having pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to a charge of wilfully or recklessly destroying or damaging property.

That earlier hearing, on May 1, was told the damage had been valued at £2,000.

At that May hearing, McAlpine's solicitor said that his client didn't have a regular income and there had been a change in his domestic circumstances.

He said: "He recognises what he did was wrong, and it was stupid and reckless behaviour."

Sentence was deferred until June 7 for a background social work report - but at the latest hearing, the same solicitor said McAlpine had no money to pay back the damage.

"He presents with no funding in place," the lawyer told Sheriff John Hamilton.

"He is happy to accept unpaid work."

Sheriff Hamilton said: "This has gone on long enough. It was idiotic behavour on September 2020.

"I am disappointed you haven't take the opportunity to just put your hand in your pocket to pay back for the damage you caused.

"This reflects badly on you."

McAlpine was placed on a community payback order and told to do 80 hours of unpaid work within 12 months as a punishment.