Two teenagers were today starting a total of 18 months in jail for their part in a brutal gang assault which left a man with a fractured jaw.

And the woman who tried to quell the outbreak of youth thuggery in Haxby is to get a £400 reward.

Diane Robson stepped in when she saw the gang of several youths attacking and kicking a 19-year-old man as he lay sprawled on the floor, York Crown Court heard.

The youths were also jostling the man's girlfriend and threatening rape. Someone was shouting "We are the Tang Hall boys," prosecutor Martin Rudland said.

Making the reward, Judge Jonathan Crabtree praised Miss Robson's attempt to rescue victim Michael Maher, who had been set upon when the gang of youths intervened in a lover's tiff.

"For a time she does seem to have held people off and, who knows, may have saved this wretched youth from a much worse kicking," he said.

He told two of Maher's attackers and another youth involved in the incident on November 15, 1996: "This is really a nasty story of public violence as I am sure you three boys know perfectly well."

Judge Crabtree ordered Gareth Thomas Weir, 19, of Falkland Street, Bishophill, York, who admitted actual bodily harm, to a young offenders' institution for 12 months.

Mitigating, Robert Collins said Weir had fallen into bad company when he moved to York but was working towards qualifications in abattoir work.

A 17-year-old from Hull who was 15 at the time of the attack was locked up for six months after earlier admitting actual bodily harm.A second 17-year-old from Clifton, who admitted affray, was given 180 hours community service.

For the jailed 17-year-old, Bernard Gateshill said although he had been an antisocial youth, two spells in custody since the attack seemed to have changed him and he intended to keep out of trouble in future.

For the other youth, Peter Makepeace said he accepted this was "disgusting juvenile gang behaviour".

Insp Howard Harding, of York police and inspector for the north of the city, today welcomed the stiff sentence handed out and praised the actions of Miss Robson.

He said: "She was extremely brave and courageous and it is nice to see members of the public who are prepared to intervene in this way."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.