A teenager filmed a blaze at a Bicester primary school on his mobile phone after a pal allegedly started the fire.

Ian Leach, 17, yesterday escaped jail after admitting his role in the blaze which caused £190,000 damage to Longfields Primary School in February.

Banbury Youth Court heard Leach acted as a "look out" while a 15-year-old friend, who cannot be named, started the blaze.

Leach, whose address and picture cannot be released because of a court order, admitted arson at a previous hearing.

But his alleged accomplice has denied the charge and is still awaiting trial.

Carolyn Oakley, prosecuting, said the pair were bored on the evening of the blaze.

She said: "About 8.45pm they both walked towards Longfields School. They got into the school grounds, climbed over a small wall and made their way to a small play hut.

"They sat together and had a cigarette. There were conversations about setting fire to things."

She said the pair then went over to another unlocked hut next to the school filled with tablecloths and curtains.

Ms Oakley said: "The 15-year-old removed his lighter from his pocket and Ian acted as look out while his friend set fire to these items.

"They both ran out of the school grounds and walked towards town. They had a bit of a walk around and decided to go back to the school.

"Clearly on returning they saw what had happened - the fire had taken hold of the building and spread to the roof of the school.

"The two waited around watching the fire, both video recording it on their mobile phones."

Ms Oakley said police took the pair's details at the scene and arrested Leach later that night.

And she said Leach told police he thought his friend was joking about starting a fire and had been very remorseful.

Satyanam Singh, defending, said Leach did not know his alleged accomplice very well and had come across him by chance that night.

He said: "He is a young man who has been frightened by what happened and by the advice he has been given about what could happen to him.

"He's not blind about the seriousness of what he has done and its impact on the community and particularly the effect on the young children."

Sentencing Leach to a 12-month referral order, district judge Brian Loosley ruled the Oxford Mail could name the youth because of the seriousness of the offence.

He said: "This is really a case that calls for an immediate custodial sentence.

"Whilst you were not the principal offender you knew what was going on. You knew your friend had a lighter. You obviously assisted him in looking out.

"Your degree of participation is quite high. You knew what he was doing and you had a chance to stop him. You had a chance to walk away and you chose not to do that.

"I am very concerned that you wandered back there and filmed it on your mobile phone. That action in itself doesn't show a great deal of remorse and that's very concerning.

"It's a stark choice - a serious offence that really does cry out for custody against some one that does seem to be a reasonable lad."

A referral order is given to a young person between 10 and 17-years-old who pleads guilty to an offence during their first time in court.

The order requires the youngster to attend a youth offender panel made up of volunteers from the local community and advisers from the Youth Offending Team.

Together with the young person, their parents or carers and the victim if appropriate, the panel agree a contract lasting between three and 12-months.

It can include mediation or reparation sessions, unpaid community work, a curfew, supervised activities or training.

Mr Loosley also ordered Leach to pay £500 compensation to Oxfordshire County Council.