A young girl delivering newspapers was terrified when a teenager snatched one off her and set it on fire. A 15-year-old Baldock boy, who is already awaiting sentence for breaking an ASBO and cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared at Stevenage youth c

A young girl delivering newspapers was terrified when a teenager snatched one off her and set it on fire.

A 15-year-old Baldock boy, who is already awaiting sentence for breaking an ASBO and cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared at Stevenage youth court on Monday where he pleaded guilty to damaging the newspapers by fire on a street in the town on August 2.

The court heard the defendant approached two girls, aged 13 and 15, who were delivering newspapers and stole some copies before setting them alight and abusing them.

Defending the teenager, David Jordan told the court: "In a video of the incident it is difficult to see whether my client actually set fire to the newspaper because there were a number of other people standing around the girls."

The sentencing of the youth for this offence and breaching his ASBO will now take place on January 17.

The youth appeared before the same court three weeks ago charged with breaching an ASBO which he had been given by the court in February this year and will be current until 2008.

The order prohibits him from using foul, abusive or threatening behaviour in any public place and causing alarm or distress to the public. It also concludes a condition that the youth should not use violence, drink alcohol or attempt to buy drink from licensed premises.

Another condition is he should not cause distress, harm or alarm to residents in two Baldock roads.

Despite pleading not guilty to the offence of swearing at a resident, magistrates found the youth guilty of breaching two of his ASBOs.