A PROLIFIC graffiti artist has been spared detention after admitting a string of vandalism charges and racking up repair bills of almost £7000.

Ryan Gilhooly, 18, left his "tag" across Glasgow and beyond, including at train stations, in trains and at Bearsden Academy.

The teenager sprayed "RAIO" and "CHS" -which stands for Causing Havoc Squad - in a spate of incidents between September 2012 and December last year.

Matthew Berlow, defending, said that according to expert Colin Saycell, graffiti is an addiction.

At Glasgow Sheriff Court Gilhooly, from Clydebank, West Dun-bartonshire, admitted 18 charges including eight of "maliciously damaging" various places using spray paint, three graffiti charges of using a marker pen and seven breaches of bail by entering train stations and trains when instructed not to.

Sheriff Bill Totten handed Gilhooly a two-year community payback order with the condition that he will be supervised.

He also told the graffiti artist to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work, and he has to stay at home between 11pm and 6am.

Gilhooly spent more than three months on remand for the case before pleading guilty to the charges and being released on bail.

The sheriff told him: "The real, crucial issue in this case is whether you have learned from that experience, whether you have grown up and whether you are going to stop behaving like this."

He added: "Do not graffiti, paint or deface any property which does not belong to you without the express permission of the owner."

Gilhooly painted his "tag" at places including a shelter at Drumchapel station, a wall at Partick station and a wall at Hyndland train station.