A 16-year-old boy has appeared before North Yorkshire Youth Court charged with attempted murder.

A second boy remains gravely ill in hospital today. Neither can be named for legal reasons.

The 16-year-old is alleged to have tried to kill the second boy during an incident in Harrogate on Sunday.

In an unusual video link-up for a youth court, the 16-year-old appeared in the dock at York Magistrates' Court and his case was heard by a youth court bench sitting in Scarborough Magistrates' Courthouse.

Lawyers for the prosecution and defence sat in York Magistrates' Court, as did representatives of the North Yorkshire youth justice team and members of the defendant’s family.

The 16-year-old was not asked to enter a plea to the charge and his solicitor Nadeem Zaman did not make a bail application.

After hearing that the nature of the charge meant that it should not be heard by a youth court, the youth justices sent the case to Leeds Crown Court to be tried by a judge and jury.

They heard details of the prosecution case against the 16-year-old and decided that there were sufficient grounds for him to be remanded in youth detention accommodation.

His next court appearance will be before Leeds Crown Court on March 14.