Two North-East schoolgirls have been locked up for their "dreadful" record of attacks on other girls.

Marie Booth and Hayley Short, both 16 and from Darlington, were renowned for their violence, the court was told.

Their last victim spent four days in hospital after the pair left her with a fractured cheekbone, a cracked skull and extensive bruising.

Booth already had three previous convictions for street assaults on girls in Darlington and Short had two bodily harm assaults on her record.

At Teesside Crown Court today they pleaded guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent, robbing the girl of her jacket and also causing an affray.

Judge Peter Fox QC ordered that the pair could be named and put them behind bars for two and a half years each.

* Read more on this story in The Northern Echo on Saturday.