A man and a teenager burgled a car company and set fire to an office which resulted in several cars being damaged, a court heard.

The teenager, who was just 13 at the time, also damaged seven other cars in an arson spree.

Tyler Turner, now 21, and the boy broke into Regency Motor Company at The Brook, Chatham, in the early hours of March 25, 2015, Maidstone Crown Court was told.

Turner, of Ryde Close, Princes Park, and the teenager deny arson involving damage to the Portakabin and cars.

The teenager had denied burglary and six charges of arson, but changed his pleas to guilty on the second day of the trial.

He had admitted allowing himself to be carried in a stolen car.

Tyler has admitted burglary, stealing the safe and car keys, and aggravated car-taking.

Prosecutor Simon Sandford said the pair stole a safe containing £1,300 and 19 car keys.

He said: “They set fire to the Portakabin, causing extensive damage, and the fire damaged a number of cars parked close to it. What they did was caught on CCTV.

“A Land Rover Discovery was taken from the forecourt. It was taken that night and used by them.”

Mr Sandford said the teenager, now 15, also set fire to a Ford Focus, Ford Fiesta, Mazda, Ford Mondeo, Ford Ka, BMW and a Smart car on April 29, 2015, in the Walderslade area in the space of a few hours.

Regency Motors boss of 20 years Eric Parish had been at the business on March 24 and left in the early evening.

At about 1.15am the next morning his son went into his bedroom and told him the car yard was on fire.

Mr Sandford said: “By the time he got there the fire was put out. There was extensive damage to his Portakabin.

"There was just a hole in the ground where the safe had been. A number of vehicles were damaged.”

Turner later sent a Facebook message to Mr Parish apologising, but blaming the teenager for starting the fire.

Mr Sandford said the pair took the Land Rover Discovery and drove it into a parked Vauxhall Astra.

“They set fire to the Portakabin, causing extensive damage, and the fire damaged a number of cars parked close to it. What they did was caught on CCTV" - Prosecutor Simon Sandford

The stolen safe was found at the home of Turner’s mother in Canterbury Street, Gillingham.

When arrested, Turner asked if police had caught the teenager as well.

The boy said the safe would be found at Turner’s home and added all the money had all been spent.

Officers found various items in sports bags at the teenager’s home, suggesting he had been shopping.

Mr Sandford said Turner’s mobile phone contained a photo of him and the boy.

The teenager was holding an aerosol and toilet roll, which demonstrated “an interest in starting a fire”.

The trial continues.