Publicity in the Evening Post about CCTV film showing intruders inside the Crewe Johns firm on the Moss Side industrial estate in Leyland helped lead to the arrests, Preston Crown Court was told.

One of the teenagers, 19-year-old Jake Maher, admitted starting the blaze in a lorry which then spread to other vehicles and stored beer kegs.

His guilty plea was on the basis of a reckless action and the court heard that Maher accepted he set a lorry on fire with a discarded cigarette he had been smoking.

He had been employed by the company and left after a disagreement, but the judge was told the prosecution accepted there was "no revenge or retribution" in the arson attack.

Another youth arrested after the publicity, who admitted theft of beer kegs, was later found by police who searched his home to be a cocaine dealer.

Prosecutor Paul Brookwell said a search of Shane Rogers' home unearthed almost an ounce of cocaine, a tick list of customers and a stun gun.

Mr Brookwell told the court the security video showed four young men entering the yard on a night in August before two later returned.

He said that two other defendants who admitted the theft of beer kegs had been dealt with by magistrates.

The film shows flames erupting from the vehicles and stored beer kegs.

Damage to the destroyed vehicles and kegs came to about £40,000 with the company having to hire replacement transport costing them about £20,000, the court heard.

Together with new security equipment the total cost came to over £83,000, the judge heard.

Maher, of St James Gardens, Leyland, who admitted reckless arson and theft, was sent into youth custody for a total of 18 months.

His barrister, Richard Bennett, said he had little recollection of events on the night because of the amount he had drunk but the offences were never an act of revenge against his former employers.

Rogers, also 19, of Westfield Drive, Leyland, pleaded guilty to theft of beer crates, possession of cocaine with intent to supply and having a prohibited weapon.

He was sent into youth custody for a total of four years, four months.

On Rogers' behalf, Mark Stephenson told the court that at the time he had developed a "catastrophic cocaine habit" and was buying the drug for his own use and also selling on to a circle of friends.

His dealing to friends had not come to the knowledge of police but he told them about the drugs while they were searching his home as part of the inquiry into the theft.

Judge Norman Wright said there had to be sentences of custody.

Rogers, he added, had involved himself in dealing cocaine which he must have known brought with it misery and often death.