A yob started a fire on a commuter train - then jumped off at the next stop.
The flames damaged a carriage, forcing the driver to shut it down.
Serial offender Jay Gibb, 19, admitted a charge of culpable and reckless fireraising.
Hamilton Sheriff Court heard the fire happened on a Milngavie to Larkhall service around 6pm on September 17 last year.
Fortunately, no one was injured.
Abby Seal, prosecuting, said a passenger alerted the driver when the train arrived at Larkhall a few minutes after Gibb had set fire to a newspaper.
She stated: "The driver saw that the fire was extinguished, but there was some damage to the interior of the carriage.
"The carriage was thereafter closed due to the strong smell of smoke.
"CCTV was reviewed and it shows the accused boarding the train at Hamilton Central.
"He walks through the carriage and picks up a newspaper.
"He places this in an unoccupied area for wheelchair users and ignites it before walking away.
"The footage shows the flames close to another passenger.
"The accused returns to the fire and when he walks away a second time the flames appear brighter.
"He then gets off the train at Chatelherault station."
Sheriff Alasdair MacFadyen said the case was “close to the high end” for such a crime and deferred sentence until next month for a criminal justice social work report.
Gibb, who is from Larkhall, is in custody for an unrelated matter.
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