AN army recruit claims he has suffered repeated baiting on the streets of Burnley and Pendle after he decided to join the services.

The teenager, who is in the second part of his basic training, even says he has been attacked twice while out with friends.

But the youngster fell foul of the law when he left a 20-year-old with a broken nose during a confrontation at a Burnley takeaway on New Year’s Eve, Reedley Youth Court was told.

The 17-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, admitted assaulting Elliott Smits and was given a three-month referral order and told to pay £75 compensation with £85 costs.

Defence solicitor Barbara Booth said the teenager had been out with three friends, two of whom were also in the army, when a group of young men began ‘taking the mickey’ out of them in the takeaway.

“It seems that in this town some people have no respect for people serving their country and see it as a challenge and starting making taunts like ‘so you think you’re hard then?” said Ms Booth.

She told magistrates that the boy had been attacked twice while out in Burnley and Pendle. The first time he was able to walk away but the second incident has resulted in three men facing prosecution.

Prosecutor Julia Bennett said the youth’s victim, Mr Smits, was trying not to get involved in the argument.

But the youth punched him in the face, without warning, leaving him with a suspected broken nose.

Prosecutors applied for a drinking banning order on the youth, who is now serving at a training camp in southern England.

He told police he was too drunk to recall the attack.

But bench chairman Mr H Council said the fact he was returning to camp meant the order was not necessary.

He said: “You have to bear in mind that when you are on leave your behaviour still reflects your unit.”