A 14-year-old Bradford boy has confessed to being the hammer-wielding raider captured on CCTV robbing two Bradford convenience stores.

The teenager, who cannot be named because of his age, pleaded guilty at Bradford Crown Court yesterday to attacking the shops on consecutive days in December. He will be sentenced on May 1.

He admitted robbing Zuzana Gaborova of packets of cigarettes at the Potraviny Dunko store in Gaythorne Road, West Bowling, on December 11 and attempting to rob Liaqat Khan of money the following day at the Nawaz General Store in nearby Rigton Street.

The boy, who attended court with his father, was allowed to sit out of the dock near his lawyer Ian Hudson.

His case was adjourned for the preparation of a report by the Youth Offending Team.

Prosecution barrister, David McGonigal, said the teenager went into the shops with a hammer, demanding money and ordering staff to open the till.

He would be asking the court to take into consideration a similar offence, committed on October 30, when he was sentenced.

His bail was extended on condition that he does not enter the streets where the shops are.

The boy was detained by the police after a member of the public rang them following publication of the graphic CCTV images in the Telegraph & Argus.

The pictures showed a masked robber, wearing a hood and black gloves, using a hammer to hit counters, display stands and a till.

He escaped with packets of cigarettes the first time and fled empty-handed the next day when the shopkeeper chased him with a golf club and stepladders.

Zuzana Gaborova, owner of Potraviny Dunko, was alone in the shop at 6pm when the robber struck.

He attacked the cash register with a hammer. Unable to remove the till, he then demanded cigarettes and made offwith a few packets.

Mrs Gaborova, who was three months pregnant, described it as terrifying experience.

The next day, the raider struck at the nearby Nawaz General Store, hitting the confectionery stand with a hammer.