Two boy racers stole diggers from a building site and smashed them into walls and lampposts as they tried to race them, a court has heard.

Kevin Barr and Garry Rooney caused almost £6,000 in damage after breaking into the Drumchapel site in December last year. The pair dressed up in high visibility vests and work boots before completely destroying a church wall and several street lights on a rampage with the diggers.

They were caught out after a nearby resident heard a noise and looked out to see the diggers leaving the site - knocking down a partition wall as they left. Police were called and officers followed the trail of destruction to find the duo, who had been drinking, still inside the machines.

At Glasgow Sheriff Court, Barr, 21, and Rooney, 18, who are both remanded in Polmont Young Offenders Institution, admitted stealing a digger each from Cruden Building Site, Airgold Drive, Drumchapel, on December 6 last year.

The pair also admitted driving dangerously and striking street lights, a fence, a wall and an electricity box and stealing boots and jackets from a portakabin at the site.

Barr was also convicted of drink driving and Rooney pled guilty to failing to provide a specimen for alcohol testing and driving while disqualified. Prosecutor Joe Stewart told the court that the men broke into the site in the early hours of the Sunday morning.

Mr Stewart said: "A local resident became aware of activity on the building site and saw two diggers emerge from the building site. The diggers collided with a partition wall at the entrance to the site causing the wall to fall down.

"The diggers then proceeded in the direction of Invercanny Drive and at this time the witness noted that they were being driven by two males wearing high visibility jackets. The witness then became aware of a banging noise and formed the impression that the diggers had collided. She became concerned and called the police."

Mr Stewart added: "Police officers drove through Invercanny Drive where they observed extensive damage which had been caused by the diggers. A wall surrounding the Free Church of Scotland had been completely demolished. Three sets of street lights between Kinfauns Drive and Ladyloan Avenue had been damaged along with damage to an electricity box.

"The officers then arrived at Ladyloan Avenue and observed the accused Barr within a digger. He was wearing a high visibility jacket and work boots. Gary Rooney was within another digger on a grassy area also wearing a high visibility jacket and work boots."

The two men were then arrested. Barr admitted breaking into the site and stealing the digger but Rooney initially denied it. Mr Stewart said damage to the building site was estimated at £2500. Three lampposts and the electricity box also had to be replaced at a cost of £2,507 and a new church wall cost £700.

Sheriff Martin Jones deferred sentence until later this month for background reports and Barr and Rooney were remanded in custody. Defence lawyers Kevin McCarron, representing Barr, and Phil McWilliams, representing Rooney, will give their pleas in mitigation at the next hearing.