A TEENAGER - labelled Bolton's "one boy crimewave" - has been locked up for four years.

The 16-year-old, who is suing Bolton education authority for allegedly causing his delinquency, has been sent to a Young Offenders' Institution.

The youth, who was described at previous hearings as having "a criminal record unbelievable for a person of his age" has committed around 100 offences.

He appeared yesterday at Bolton Crown Court for sentence having been found guilty by a jury on charges of intentional wounding and affray at a hearing in March.

Jonathan Dickinson, prosecuting, said the youth, who cannot be named, had carried out an unprovoked knife attack on a young man of similar age, slashing him on both sides of his face, his neck, his shoulder and his arm.

On the same night, Friday November 24 last year, the youth used the knife again in an attack on another young man in a separate incident but in this case, the intended victim escaped without being cut, Mr Dickinson said.

The youth, who pleaded not guilty to both charges, claimed he was not the person who carried out either attack. Sentence had been adjourned for preparation of reports and to await the outcome of a trial on a robbery charge which was held this week. In this case the youth was found not guilty on the direction of Judge Gillian Ruaux.

At the resumed hearing yesterday Judge Ruaux told the youth that despite his appalling record of crime, he was a person of considerable intelligence.

The boy is taking legal action against the Bolton education authority claiming that they failed to cater for his exceptional educational ability. The Judge told him that his future could now go in one of two ways.

Either he could use his time in custody to receive training to equip him for a useful life when he came out or he could stay on his present path leading to a lifetime of prison sentences.

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