A GANG of youths who turned vigilante, armed themselves with weapons and got involved in a melee after trouble at a Burnley school, kept their freedom - but were slammed as a "waste of space" by a judge.

Shazad Akhtar, 15, and Shahdab Akhtar, 17, both of Scott Park Road, Zahir Abbas, 19, of Daneshouse Road, Christopher Hickey, 18, of Bevington Close, and Shuaib Khan, 17, of Hurtley Street, all Burnley, all admitted affray on May 8.

Hickey got 80 hours unpaid work, Shazad Akhtar got a six-month referral order to the Youth Offending Team, and the other three were all sentenced to 180 hours unpaid work. Each must pay £100 costs.

Sentencing, Judge Beverley Lunt told the teenagers their behaviour was disgraceful and that they were "a waste of space on our streets".

Sarah Statham, prosecuting, told the court the prosecution accepted there had been an earlier incident at Habergham High School.

That had involved two of the victims, a father and son, both of whom had been charged with affray together with three others.

But, instead of allowing the police to sort things out, the defendants, except Hickey, took it upon themselves to sort it out themselves.

They decided they would go to the shop owned by the father, and in which his son works, armed with weapons.

Miss Statham said the defendants went to the shop armed with sticks and bats, and concerned residents called the police.

Miss Statham said when the defendants were questioned, Shazad Akhtar said he had got a wooden stick and gone to the shop because his brother had earlier been assaulted.

Shahdab Akhtar said he had armed himself with a baseball bat, and Khan told officers he had taken a stick and hit a doorframe, but had not made contact with anybody else.

Abbas told police he had picked up a stick and had swung it several times at the shop when he saw the shopkeeper allegedly had a weapon.

Miss Statham added Hickey had already been involved in a previous incident at the shop.