THREE members of a graffiti gang which caused £180,000 worth of damage by spraying their "tags" across the region have been jailed.

Steven Findlay, Stephen Wilson and Anthony Murphy were part of the WTR crew which targeted the Metro system and rail network between Newcastle and Sunderland.

The gang also daubed their signatures along main road routes as well as council and privately owned buildings between Gateshead and Durham.

Network Rail was left with a £140,000 clean up bill to remove the paintwork from bridges and buildings across the system.

The rest of the clean-up cost was footed by private businesses and tax payers.

At Newcastle Crown Court today Findlay, 21, of Valley Gardens, Gateshead, who was responsible for 82 tags, and Wilson, 18, of Lynneholme Gardens, Gateshead, .who was responsible for 106, were sentenced to 18 months behind bars.

Murphy, of Clyde Street, Gateshead, who was responsible for 27, was sentenced to nine months.

The trio had admitted conspiracy to cause criminal damage between August 2005 and August 2006.

Garry Bowron, of Church Road, Gateshead, who was responsible for just two tags, admitted the same charge and was sentenced to six months imprisonment, suspended for two years with 100 hours unpaid work and £500 costs.

A 16-year-old youth, who cannot be named, was responsible for 18 tags. He also admitted the same charge and was sentenced to a community order for 12 months with supervision and a three month curfew from 7pm to 7am.

The court heard how since their arrest the five, who have no previous convictions, have stayed out of trouble and stopped the vandalism.

Findlay and Bowron have even been working in conjunction with Nexus to complete legitimate artwork projects and were involved in decorating a skateboard park in South Shields with their work.