A PROLIFIC graffiti artist is facing jail after admitting a string of vandalism charges racking up almost £7,000 of damage.

Ryan Gilhooly, 18, left his "tag" all over the city including at various train stations, inside trains and at Bearsden Academy.

The teenager sprayed "RAIO" and "CHS" - which stands for Causing Havoc Squad - in a spate of incidents between September 2012 and December 2013.

Defence lawyer Matthew Berlow said that according to expert Colin Saycell, graffiti is an addiction.

At Glasgow Sheriff Court Gilhooly, from Knightswood, Glasgow, admitted 18 charges including eight charges of "maliciously damaging" various places using spray paint, three graffiti charges of using a marker pen and seven breaches of bail by entering train stations and trains when instructed not to do so.

Among the places Gilhooly spraypainted his "tag" on was a shelter at Drumchapel train station, a wall at Partick train station, a van at Yoker Depot and an underpass and wall at Hyndland train station. He also targeted a wall at Bearsden Academy with the vandalism.

Procurator fiscal depute Angus Crawford told the court that Gilhooly carried out a number of offences while on bail for similar offending.

He said: "That clearly didn't prevent him from continuing this vandalism."

Mr Crawford said it was accepted that on two of the charges Gilhooly did not physically carry out the damage, but filmed it while others did.

The total amount of damage caused by Gilhooly's crimes was £6706.

Sheriff Bill Totten deferred sentence on Gilhooly until next month and although he has been on remand since December for his crimes, was released on bail.