A TEENAGER from a family from hell which was given £2,500 by the council to move away from fed-up neighbours appeared in court yesterday.

Southampton Youth Court heard how the 14-year-old boy was arrested by police on suspicion of breaking his neighbour’s window where he lived in Millbrook.

When officers led him away to the police van he escaped and ran off along a nearby footpath, the court was told.

An officer gave chase and managed to handcuff the boy, who was later charged with resisting arrest. He admitted the charge in court and was handed a six-month conditional discharge by magistrates yesterday.

An initial charge of criminal damage was dropped.

The court was told the boy does not attend school or receive any home schooling.

He has previous convictions including theft and threatening behaviour.

On the day of the incident, June 24, four members of the family of ten were arrested in the incident, including the child’s mother. None of the family can be identified for legal reasons.

Defending, Sarah Barnard said the boy admitted what he did but said he ran away because he was “fed up of being accused of things and arrested for things” he had not done. She said: “That day I was on the phone to my clients and the neighbours were screaming like harpies before the telephone call ended. It was not one-sided.”

Sentencing, chairman of the bench Pamela Butt told the boy that he must ensure he gets an education so he can read and write.

She warned: “If you get into trouble when you are 15, magistrates have far more ways of punishing you than at 14.”

No costs were awarded because she said: “We feel the family has enough commitments.”

Terrified neighbours reported catalogue of abuse

AN INVESTIGATION was launched into the family’s behaviour when they made neighbours’ lives a misery after moving into their new home in Millbrook.

They arrived there in November last year after being thrown out of their Hedge End home for abusive and unruly behaviour.

But people living on the Southampton estate they were moved to – in privately rented accommodation organised for them by social services – said they lived in fear.

Terrified neighbours said the catalogue of abuse and antisocial behaviour began within weeks and included damage to cars and property, dog dirt dumped on doorsteps, frozen condoms thrown into family gardens, food catapulted over fences and rubbish and furniture dumped on the estate green.

In July this year the family left their Millbrook home with a handout from Southampton City Council of £2,500.