AN alcoholic teenager stole a young boy's specially designed and built mountain bike, worth £600, Teesside Crown Court was told yesterday.

Mark O'Neil, 18, of Winlatter Place, Newton Aycliffe, admitted a charge of robbery.

Peter Johnson, prosecuting, told the court a 14-year-old boy was riding his bike in the Burn area of Newton Aycliffe when he was approached by O'Neil, who threatened him with violence if he did not give him the bike.

He said O'Neil then pushed the youngster off the bike, punched him and rode off on the machine.

The boy was left bruised and frightened by the robbery.

Mr Johnson said O'Neil told police he had been very drunk when he stole the bike, only the back wheel of which had been found.

He said it was thought O'Neil had borrowed a bike from a "known family" in the town and had damaged it.

He was looking to repair it with parts taken from the young boy's bike.

Paul Newcombe, for O'Neil, said he had an alcohol problem and on the day of the robbery had drunk six litres of cider. He said he had been accepted on a rehabilitation programme, which would start after he was released from custody.

Judge Michael Taylor said O'Neil was only young but was already gaining a formidable record of offending. He said youngsters being robbed of their bikes was prevalent in this area and needed to be stamped out.

He sentenced O'Neil to two years in a young offenders' institution