A 14-year-old street robber who hid his face with a bandana and terrorised one of his victims with his mother’s potato peeler has been locked up by a judge at Bradford Crown Court .

The boy, who cannot be named because of his age, arrived in custody from a secure unit yesterday to be sentenced for a series of muggings in the Thornbury area of Bradford where he lives.

He was told by Judge David Hatton QC: “The offences, in my judgement, are so serious that only a term of custody is appropriate, notwithstanding your tender age.”

Sentencing the boy to an 18 month Detention and Training Order, Judge Hatton said the teenager was beginning to understand the effect of his crimes on himself but not on his victims.

Prosecutor Adam Birkby said the boy was on bail and in breach of a Youth Court referral order imposed for two street robberies when he targeted a 14-year-old schoolboy on June 9.

He was disguised in a bandana and armed with a potato peeler that his victim thought was a knife. He robbed the schoolboy of three computer games and his phone.

The defendant said he knew where his victim lived and threatened to “cut him up” if he called the police. Police caught the boy hiding the potato peeler in a stone wall. The games and phone were recovered nearby.

He pleaded guilty to robbery with a bladed article.

On March 30, Bradford Youth Court sentenced him to a referral order for two street robberies.

He went on to take part in a gang attempted robbery and robbery on May 25.

The court heard the boy was still to be sentenced for two further robberies.

They would be dealt with at the Youth Court because magistrates had not considered them “grave crimes”.

The boy’s solicitor advocate, Kam Dhesi, said: “He is a very pleasant and nice young man to speak to.”

After the case, a West Yorkshire Police spokesman said: “We will not stand for those who generate fear and intimidation within our communities.