A teenager who attacked a boy and raided a house is behind bars for a total of 15 months.

Burnley Crown Court heard how Ryan Spedding, 18, had launched an unprovoked assault on the 16-year-old as the victim and two friends walked down a ginnel.

Spedding punched the victim in the face twice, knocked him to the ground, continued to hit him and when the youth got back up, he stuck him again, smacking him in the nose.

The hearing was told how the defendant had accused his victim of saying things about him and his girlfriend before the beating.

In January, Spedding had also been part of a gang which raided a legal secretary's house on Manchester Road, Hapton, and made off with her laptop.

An eagle-eyed neighbour had called police after seeing three lads hanging around in the area. He had taken pictures of them on his phone. The laptop ended up being flung in the canal.

Spedding, of Beresford Court, Burnley, had admitted common assault and burglary and had been committed for sentence by magistrates.

Lisa Worsley, prosecuting, said the burglary victim returned home to find a half brick had been thrown through the utility room window.

She found her computer and some loose change had been taken and rang the police. Earlier that afternoon a man working at home nearby saw three boys hanging around.

One was carrying a laptop in a case, he was suspicious and took some snaps on his mobile phone.

Miss Worsley said two officers went to Manchester Road and spotted the three youths. All three tried to run off. Spedding was detained.

An officer retrieved the laptop which was floating on the canal. When he was in custody, the defendant was searched and was found to have £3.35 on him in 1p and 2p pieces. He had seven previous convictions.