THE father of a teenage tearaway pleaded with magistrates not to give him a parenting order claiming he already does all he can to support his daughter.

The man appeared with his 15-year-old daughter at Darlington Youth Court where she admitted breaching her six-month supervision order imposed in June for ABH.

It was recommended by the Youth Offending Team that her father, who lives in Darlington, be the subject of a parenting order.

But he opposed the recommendation and said that both he and his pregnant partner repeatedly contacted the police and his daughter's school when she went missing.

He said: "If she is not coming in at night or if she is not going to school what more can we do? She is breaking her order, not us.

"It is her fault she is in this mess, not ours. Why should we get blamed for what she has done?

"We don't need support, we need her to grow up and realise what she has done wrong."

Chairwoman of the magistrates' bench Dorothy Winter did not make an order, but said: "Parenting support is there on a voluntary basis. It is not to discipline you - it is meant to be support for you."

His daughter, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was made subject of a three month action plan.