A BOY was today starting an eight-month custodial sentence for a summer of crime in east York.

The 16-year-old broke down a door and assaulted police during a 15-offence crime spree, prosecutor Mike Duffy told York Youth Court.

"Because of the number of offences you have committed and the fact that you have wilfully and persistently failed to comply with all of the orders made, we make a detention and training order," said senior justice Francesca Horsefield.

She and her colleague sent the boy to a secure unit for eight months and banned him from driving for a year.

The boy, from east York, pleaded guilty to all offences.

Mr Duffy said the youth:

- Kicked down the door and damaged the gate of his grandmother's house

- Drove a Nova without a licence or insurance in Etty Avenue and gave police a false name. The next day, he bought an Astra for £100 and drove it without a licence or insurance in Paragon Street

- Used threatening behaviour towards a member of the public in Tang Hall Lane who was being assaulted by another person

- Swore at a policeman when caught riding a bicycle without lights in Etty Avenue

- Skipped bail, then pushed a policeman into a hedge as the officer arrested him on a warrant

- Breached a 100-hour community punishment order imposed for being drunk and disorderly, possessing 70p worth of cannabis, and for being a passenger in a snatched car that led police on an 80mph chase from Foxwood to Malton Road at 4am.

- Breached a 20-hour attendance centre order imposed for stealing a bicycle

- Stole £2.78 worth of sweets from Jet Garage in Lawrence Street despite being barred from it.

For the boy, John Howard said he accepted he would be locked up. The offences had occurred when he had been estranged from his family and spent his time staying at friends' houses or staying on the streets and he had not got letters telling him to do his community punishment or attendance centre order.

Updated: 11:24 Tuesday, September 11, 2001