A COUPLE who were terrorised by gangs of drunken teenagers at their food take-away were last night praised by police for their bravery after five youngsters were locked up.

Linon and Ailing Lee suffered four months of abuse and intimidation before their ordeal came to a violent end when thugs attacked them and smashed up their shop.

Five members of the 15-strong gang of teenagers were given custodial sentences when they appeared in court this week as a judge warned others to behave or be jailed.

Last night, the officer who led the investigation into the trouble at the Teesside take-away, praised the couple and witnesses who helped bring about the prosecution.

Sergeant Colin Whitfield, of Stockton police, said: "I would like to pay tribute to the courage shown by Mr and Mrs Lee during their ordeal and the public-spirited actions of members of the public whose information helped the police identify all 15 persons responsible.

"The major players have been sentenced and the ten who played a lesser role have been given official police reprimands."

The Northern Echo reported yesterday how the catalyst for the trouble, 16-year-old Michael Hancock, was given a four-month training and detention order after he admitted violent disorder.

Friends Lianne Wilcock, 15, Adeem Khan, 16, and James Parker, 16, also admitted the charge and were given the same punishment, while 18-year-old Daniel Brown was sent to a young offenders' institution for six months.

The Recorder of Middlesbrough, Judge Peter Fox, QC, told them: "Word must go out to your contemporaries - other teenagers - that this sort of behaviour will not be tolerated by the courts, and people like Mr and Mrs Lee will be protected."

The court heard that the friends, some of whom were still at school, and some of whom had been drinking heavily at the time of the incident, had never been in trouble before.

Violence erupted after a gang of up to 50 youngsters had gathered outside The Lucky Garden, in Stockton, and repeatedly bothered staff and customers on January 14.

Mr Lee tried to ask the youths to leave but Hancock, who had drunk two-and-a-half litres of cider and was "totally mortal drunk", rushed into the shop and said: "Haway then, let's torture the Chinkies."

The court heard that by this time there were 15 boys and girls who smashed up the take-away and attacked the couple, who needed hospital treatment for cuts and bruises.

Martina Connolly, prosecuting, said a number of passers-by tried to intervene but failed to convince the youths to stop and leave the scene.

Mrs Lee, 41, said she was "physically and emotionally hurt" and was left needing medication from her doctor to help her sleep, and fearing trouble each time young people came into the shop.