A graffiti vandal who caused £45,000 worth of damage to Tube trains across the capital has been jailed for 18 months.

Jamie Cowley, 25, began his campaign in 2006 when he targeted trains at Arnos Grove and Neasden in north London and Barking, Essex.

Armed with his spray canisters Cowley, Southdown Road, Hornchurch, went onto daub graffiti in Farringdon Sidings and in Upminster during 2007.

Cowley caused £1,437 worth of damage at Mile End station in December 2007 and left a £1,322 clean-up bill at Richmond Sidings in southwest London in March 2009, Snaresbrook Crown Court heard.

His graffiti attacks at Amersham and Rickmansworth Sidings in 2010 caused £6,291 worth of damage.

Judge William Kennedy told the labourer, who was not arrested until last year: “I am told that the value of the damage caused by its cost to repair was £45,000.

“I give you credit for your plea but as has been said, it is not simply the case of a silly young man causing silly, irresponsible damage.

“The creation of this amount of damage withdraws trains from service and causes untold problems to the travelling public.

“Much work has to be done to put things right at the cost of the public.

“I have no alternative to send you to an immediate term in prison.”

Cowley will also be subject to an anti-social behaviour order when he is released from custody meaning he will not be allowed to enter any depot or property owned by a rail operator that is not open to the public.

As part of the order he must not carry paint, permanent pens, glass cutters, permanent ink contained in any form or spray paint in public.

Cowley admitted 15 charges of damaging property while 14 similar counts, which he denied, were ordered to lie in the court file.