THE Daily Echo can today reveal the identity of the former pupil whose end-of-term prank at a Southampton school caused a global stir.

Mike Worth can today be exposed as the prankster who created the image of a giant manhood on Bellemoor School's playing fields that could be seen in photographs taken from space.

The teenager from Shirley admitted that he was responsible for using weedkiller to burn into the grass the 20ft long drawing of part of a male anatomy.

However, the last laugh is on the 17-year-old from Shirley after school chiefs vowed to make him pay for his vandalism.

Bosses at the 573-pupil school said they hoped Mr Worth would be prosecuted for vandalism and ordered to pay compensation for the hundreds of pounds it had cost to repair the damage.

An outside contractor had to be called in with a large rotovator to replant the affected area because the weedkiller had penetrated the soil so deeply. A previous attempt by the school's ground staff to reseed the lawn proved unsuccessful.

The former pupil said that he had no regrets about the stunt, which he carried out in July 2005, a couple of days before the end of term.

Satellite images show the daring design that is now available for all to see on the Internet satellite service Microsoft Live, as reported in previous editions of the Daily Echo.

Despite grass now covering the image, the satellite images available on the Internet have not been updated and can still be viewed across the world.

Mike, who hopes to go on to university after completing his A-levels in computing, electronics, physics and maths, said: "I was in Year 10 and the Year 11 pupils were leaving. I bought the weedkiller from Sainsbury's in Shirley and drew the image in the ground with the weedkiller with a couple of my mates. The only regret I have is that it could have been bigger."

Head teacher Cassie Ellins, who has overseen a turnaround in the school's performance with rising educational standards since taking over in September 2004, said: "Through the Daily Echo's article at least we will be able to pursue the vandal.

"Bellemoor School has a zero tolerance to vandalism and we do pursue it aggressively.

"These matters are not to be treated in a light-hearted way because acts of vandalism take money away from furthering children's educational opportunities, to which I am fully committed."

A Southampton police spokesman confirmed that they would look into what, if any, action they could take.