A TEENAGER from York has been disqualified from driving for two years after police officers saw him riding a motorised foot scooter on a pavement.

The 15-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, admitted riding the £260 Go-Ped in Melrosegate while already disqualified from driving, during a hearing at York Youth Court yesterday.

He is the second York person to be dealt with in the courts for an offence related to the 15mph scooters, which cannot be ridden on a public highway without insurance or a helmet.

Magistrates also heard how the 15-year-old acted as a look-out during an attempted burglary in Sutton-on-the-Forest in March and verbally abused a police officer at St George's Fields car park in April.

Senior magistrate Penny Curry sentenced him to two four-month training and detention orders, to be served concurrently, for the offences.

Jane Cook, prosecuting, said the boy had jumped from the Go-Ped when he saw a police patrol in Tang Hall on Sunday May 8.

She said he was arrested on March 2 with three others near East Moor Farm, Sutton-on-the-Forest, after a resident had seen two other youths attempting to break into her garage.

Mrs Cook added that a police officer arrested him during a fair at St George's Field car park when he became verbally abusive on April 9. She had been checking his curfew.

Speaking about the Go-Ped, Jane Maloney, mitigating, said there had been "considerable confusion" in the courts over its legal status. She said her client was not aware that riding the scooter would breach his driving ban.

After the judgement, Mrs Cook offered no evidence on several motoring offences, including driving without a licence or insurance on October 7 last year, and failing to wear a helmet and careless driving on May 8.

Barry Mitchell, 23, of Clifton, was banned from driving for a year after being stopped by police while riding a Go-Ped. He was found to be more than twice the legal alcohol limit.

Updated: 13:55 Wednesday, June 30, 2004