A TEENAGER who threatened to shoot a petrol station cashier while pointing a "vicious looking" imitation gun at him has been locked up in a young offender institution for 18 months.

Dale Eastwood twice levelled the black Webley Air Pistol at Cedric Mwandida, who was serving behind the counter at the Shell garage on Bingley Road, Saltaire, Bradford Crown Court heard yesterday.

Eastwood, 19, of Manor Road, Cottingley, near Bingley, pleaded guilty to two offences of possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence and one charge of causing Mr Mwandida actual bodily harm, on September 4.

Prosecutor Mehran Nassiri said Eastwood was racially abusive to Mr Mwandida after coming into the petrol station at 7.45pm.

The teenager then produced a handgun and pointed it directly at him, shouting: "I am going to shoot you."

Eastwood came back into the shop at 8.20pm. He was again racially abusive and accused Mr Mwandida of laughing at him.

He pointed the gun directly at the cashier and threatened to shoot him.

Eastwood then pushed the gun barrel between the glass security screens and Mr Mwandida grabbed at it in a bid to disarm him.

There was a struggle in which the cashier's hand was cut.

The teenager told the police he had been to a funeral, had been drinking and went to the petrol station after an argument with his girlfriend.

The court heard in mitigation that Eastwood had a good job as a car valeter and had no previous convictions.