A TEENAGER who used anti-vandal paint to daub a racist slur on Northwich library has been given a community order.

Joshua Nicholls, of Romanes Street also caused damage to roof tiles and skylight panels on top of the iconic building during three consecutive weeks of anti-social behaviour in the town.

The 18-year-old was appearing at Chester Magistrates Court on Wednesday, August 18, after pleading guilty to three charges of criminal damage at an earlier hearing.

Nicholls started his three weeks of rampage between March 23 and March 25 when he climbed on to the roof of the library and damaged skylight panels and roof tiles to an unknown value.

Just one week later, he made a return to the library and managed to disturb anti-vandal paint from the roof and used it to write a racially offensive word on the rear wall.

Not perturbed, Nicholls came back for a third time between April 7 and April 8 where he damaged guttering and drainpipes, with repairs estimated to be in the region of £200.

After pleading guilty to all three offences on July 23, Magistrates sentenced him to a 12 week community order.

As part of that, Nicholls will have to wear and electronic tag and be subject to a night time curfew between the hours of 7pm and 7am.

The tagging will remain until November 8 and he was also ordered to pay £250 in compensation.

Two other men had been arrested in relation to the anti-social behaviour incidents, one of which was released without being charged.

The third, Joshua Baker, also 18, has been charged with two counts of causing criminal damage and will appear at Chester Magistrates Court on October 7.