A TRIO of Hadleigh teenagers who caused thousands of pounds worth of damage by ripping badges off cars are starting community punishments today.The three boys, who can not be named for legal reasons, used a screwdriver to prise off badges from between 95 and 100 cars.

A TRIO of Hadleigh teenagers who caused thousands of pounds worth of damage by ripping badges off cars are starting community punishments today.

The three boys, who can not be named for legal reasons, used a screwdriver to prise off badges from between 95 and 100 cars.

Their actions resulted in bills of between £10 and £50 for their victims, however none of them were ordered to pay any compensation for their crimes.

Paul Forshaw, prosecuting, told West Suffolk Youth Court in Bury St Edmunds: “There was a large spate of criminal damage and theft from motor vehicles in Hadleigh.

“The majority of the witnesses found their emblems had been removed by a sharp object.

“There was a media appeal which resulted in a large bucket full of motor vehicle badges being recovered (in one of the boys' home).”

The three boys, aged, 17, 16 and 14, were then questioned by police officers and confessed to the crimes.

Mr Forshaw added: “They had all decided to go out and went out with screwdrivers.

“They all had a go at taking car badges, they stated that they did it because it was 'the thing to do' and 'lots of people do it'.

“It was a group idea to steal badges and put them in their pockets.”

He added that the boys had drunk lager before going out and Nick Wray, mitigating, added: “They are three young men getting together, not pre-planned, having some beer to drink then throwing caution to the wind and going round Hadleigh ripping off car badges.

“These are not young men who drink on a regular basis.”

He said it would be difficult to award compensation to the victims as it would be hard to determine which boy was responsible for which badge and how to get the money to the victims.

Instead the boys were each ordered to pay £55 towards prosecution costs.

The 14-year-old, who pleaded guilty to two counts of criminal damage and three of theft as well as 47 other offences, was given a ten month supervision order.

The 16-year-old, who also pleaded guilty to two counts of criminal damage and three of theft as 47 other offences, was given a ten month referral order.

And the 17-year-old, who pleaded guilty to three counts of criminal damage and two of theft as well as 39 other offences, was also given a ten month referral order.

Was your car badge stolen? Are you upset you will be getting no compensation? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk.

VETERAN rappers The Beastie Boys were inadvertently responsible for one of the UK's biggest ever spate of car vandalism after appearing wearing VW badges as pendants.

The popular group, which had huge hits from the mid 80s onwards including Fight For Your Right to Party wore the seen by fans wearing Volkswagen badges on chains.

Thousands of youngsters hit the streets and ripped the badges off cars to copy their heroes, leaving motorists, particularly VW drivers, in despair.