A BOY of 12 had such a grudge against his headmaster he torched his car and caused £1,000 worth of damage, a court was told.

Bolton magistrates adjourned the hearing yesterday but imposed what were described as "extraordinary restrictions" on the boy to protect the headmaster.

The boy - who cannot be named because of his age - has already been expelled from his Horwich school and faces four allegations of causing damage at the building. But on Wednesday, while his mother was attending a meeting at the school to review the situation, the boy was alleged to have caused £1,000 worth of damage to the head's car.

Mr Mark France, prosecuting at the magistrates' court said pieces of paper had been set alight and pushed into the petrol tank of the vehicle.

He added: "The boy appears to have a grudge against his headmaster."

Mr France said that because of the boy's age he could not ask for him to be remanded in custody.

Mr Howard Dent, defending, asked for strict conditions to be put on the boy and added: "With these his mother feels she can control him."

The boy was bailed until a youth court next Wednesday but ordered not to go within one mile of the school and to have no contact or cause anyone else to contact the headmaster either directly or indirectly, including writing letters or making telephone calls. The school was not named.

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