A RAM RAIDER today admitted trashing a designer clothing store when he reversed a stolen car through its main entrance.

Ryan Haldane and his gang got away with £10,000 worth of clothing and handbags from the upmarket Cruise shop in Glasgow's trendy Merchant City.

They also caused more than £50,000 worth of damage, the High Court in Glasgow was told. Haldane, 21, from Possilpark, admitted while acting with others unknown, breaking into Cruise in Ingram Street, by driving a stolen N-registration car at the doors and stealing a quantity of clothing and bags on January 19, last year.

He also pleaded guilty to stealing a car from Victoria Park Drive South on January 17 or 18, last year.

Haldane committed the offences just six weeks after being granted bail at Falkirk Sheriff Court.

Dr Alastair Brown, prosecuting, told how at 6.10am the ram raiders reversed the stolen N-registration car through the main entrance to the designer shop, smashing through metal shutters.

The car reversed into the shop floor while men removed clothing and bags before driving away.

Haldane's print was discovered in a rear-view interior mirror in the car and he was also identified from CCTV video.

Police went to his cousin's house and recovered £1200 of handbags which she confirmed he had given to her. Six days after the raid, Haldane gave himself up to police on another matter. However, when interviewed he denied the ram raid.

Dr Brown told the court that £9976 worth of stock was stolen and £1369 worth damaged.

The repairs to the shop cost £22,952 and the security tagging system cost £30,000 to replace.

The car, which was stolen from outside a house in Victoria Park Drive South, was worth £1400 and was written off by insurers.

Tony Graham, defending, said that Haldane had been addicted to heroin, spending £50 a day on the drug, and needed cash to finance his habit.

He was also addicted to stealing cars, and at age of 16 underwent alcohol counselling.

Mr Graham said that since being in custody, Haldane had been off drugs and his partner had warned him that if he continued to take drugs and steal cars when he came out of prison he would never see her or his child again.

At the time of the raid, a spokeswoman for Cruise said the new lines for spring and summer had only recently arrived at the shop.