A PROLIFIC offender narrowly avoided being locked up yesterday after magistrates had a last-minute change of heart.

Two police officers were called to court to take the 15-year-old, from Darlington, into custody, but then the case was adjourned, and he now faces being put on a stringent supervision order.

Darlington Youth Court heard that the boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had breached four previous supervision orders after committing a string of offences over the past two years.

The teenager is subject to a curfew and wears an electronic tag. He has several convictions for theft, burglary, and affray.

The court was told that he regularly misses school, failed to attend meetings with the youth offending service and had breached his curfew ten times.

At court yesterday, he was charged with breaching his supervision order and was told he was lucky to have avoided being locked up. "You have come within a whisker of going into custody this morning," said chief magistrate Aileen Little.

"You saw the police officers, that was why they were here today.

"We have read your reports and there is so much here that is just not working at all.

"Any order of the court is put in place with your best interests in mind.

"If you don't want to go into custody, then toe the line."

The case was adjourned until March 26, so reports can be compiled with a view to putting the boy on an intensive supervision and surveillance programme.