TWO teenagers, who launched a vicious attack on a man in a busy Winchester street, have been given detention orders.

Daniel Shaw and Joseph Gilmore, both 17, were captured on the city's CCTV network trying to stamp on the victim's head during the attack in Sussex Street just before Christmas.

Winchester Crown Court heard how the pair started trailing the victim after he left the City Road hostel, where he had been staying on December 20th.

Seconds later, they approached him and ordered him into a nearby subway. He refused and the footage showed Shaw immediately launching into an attack.

What followed was two minutes of what the judge called "serious and sustained violence", including Shaw trying to stamp on the victim's head up to 20 times while he was on the ground, curled up in a defensive ball.

Shaw, whom the prosecution called the main protagonist, encouraged Gilmore to join in the beating and he, too, was seen to aim kicks at the victim's head.

Only the fact that they were wearing trainers meant he was not badly hurt in the attack, said prosecutor, Miss Lucia Whittle-Martin.

The pair fled, but were later detained by police, who charged them with attempting to cause grievous bodily harm-to which they had both pleaded guilty.

The court heard that, while Gilmore was a man of previously good character, Shaw was far from that. Miss Whittle-Martin outlined his many previous court appearances for offences, including battery, threatening and abusive behaviour, destroying property, arson, actual bodily harm, assault and drugs offences.

The court then heard how, after seeing video footage of the attack, Shaw, of no fixed abode, had spoken of his shock at his drink-fuelled violence, saying he was very ashamed of his actions.

Sentencing him to a two-year detention and training order, Mr Justice Davis said: "I think the video tells it all.''

Gilmore, of Pagham, West Sussex, received an eight-month detention and training order.