String of offences admitted by youths

Two youths have admitted a string of offences after they broke into cars and sheds in Whitchurch.

The boys, who are 14 and 16 but cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared yesterday at Shrewsbury Magistrates Court where they admitted a range of offences.

Both boys received a three-month referral order to the Youth Offending Service and they were both ordered to pay £450 compensation.

The youths were charged with a theft from a motor vehicle in Beech Avenue, in Whitchurch, of a pair of boots and a mobile phone worth a total of £60, and a burglary from a shed of a generator and other items worth a total of £875.

The 14-year-old also admitted a public order offence which happened in Market Drayton.

Both boys also admitted seven other offences.

These were two counts of entering sheds and searching them and five counts of searching vehicles.

A CD radio and a chainsaw were removed from one of the vehicles. All of the offences took place in and around Beech Avenue and Chestnut Close, in the town.

The 14-year-old also asked for the theft of a pair of socks from a shop in Green End to be taken into consideration.

Mr Neil Campbell, who represented both youths, said they had been encouraged to take part in the offences by an older boy.

"In the vast majority of cases it was the older boy, who has never been charged, who committed the thefts," he said.