A Teenager whose crime wave was said to be causing concern among his home villagers has admitted a string of offences.

Harrogate magistrates yesterday heard from prosecutor Peter Pearson how Richard Davies had made a 999 call to get police to his home, telling them he had attacked his father, before turning on the officers.

Davies, 18, threatened them with a garden hoe and a wooden pole, and ran off after taking a swipe at one of the officers.

He dropped his weapons in favour of a saw before being overpowered by police and handcuffed.

He then kicked out at one officer and twice spat at him.

Davies, of Harrogate Road, Minskip, Boroughbridge, was driven to Harrogate police station screaming abuse throughout the journey.

On other occasions he had damaged a neighbour's property and been caught on video burgling a caravan from which sailing flares and a boat hook were stolen.

One time Davies had taken a car without consent and had driven it in such a way that another vehicle had been forced off the road between Minskip and Knaresborough and into a traffic sign.

Mr Pearson said Davies' offending had begun in January: "The picture which has built up is of somebody who is mentally disturbed. You may feel that here is someone on whom you would need pre-sentence reports prepared for the benefit of both Davies and the community of Minskip, where a number of people are very concerned about his behaviour."

For Davies, Clive Farndon accepted the need for a probation report to go alongside a medical report he had had prepared by a consultant who had concluded Davies was fit to plead. The hearing was adjourned until December 12 and Davies was remanded on unconditional bail.