Two Florida teenagers who threw their soft drink at the waitress in a drive-through restaurant and posted a video of their actions on YouTube have followed it up with a grovelling apology – on the orders of a judge.

It is a case that has brought to prominence the latest youth prank to sweep America – the American equivalent of the Happy Slapping craze which swept the UK three years ago.

Known as "Fire in the Hole", after the warning shouted by soldiers and Marines as they chuck a grenade into an enemy bunker, the attacks usually feature teenaged boys, who order a bit extra as they drive up to a fast-food joint and then throw it back through the server's window.

If they remember, they shout "Fire in the Hole!" as they do so.

The Florida case happened on July 25 when Jessica Ceponis, a fast food worker at the Taco Bell in Merritt Island, east of Orlando, had a 32oz cup of soda thrown back in her face.

Unfortunately for her attackers, Ms Ceponis, 23, heard from her customers that a video of the prank had been posted on YouTube. She used the site to trace the two boys via their MySpace accounts and befriended them online.

"They were bragging about what they had done and how funny it was," Ms Ceponis said, according to report on USA Today.

After confirming that they were indeed behind the attack, Mrs Ceponis tracked down one of the boys' mothers and got the name of the other boy from her.

The 16-year-old driver who threw the drink and a 15-year-old who filmed him were charged with two counts each of battery and one count of criminal mischief.

In addition, to the apology video, the two boys were sentenced to 100 hours each of community service and ordered to pay $30 each to the restaurant in cleaning fees. To avoid them getting criminal records, the charges will be dropped when they have fulfilled the judge's orders.

The video shows the two boys preparing for a Fire in the Hole attack before deciding against it at the last minute. It also shows them handcuffed and face down on the bonnet of their car as a sign of what might have happened had they gone through with the attack.

But Ms Ceponis said she was worried that the boys would be treated as heroes because of the apology video. "They'll be laughing about it in a year or so," she said.

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