A tearaway who terrorised a neighbourhood with a stolen six-tonne dumper truck has been banned from driving.

The 12-year-old was seen standing on the £10,000 machine's seat as he took a friend for an out-of-control ride after snatching it from a York building site.

The next day he flattened two lampposts in Tang Hall before jumping off the moving vehicle when police arrived, leaving the dumper to career into a ditch.

It narrowly missed a man walking his dog.

At York Youth Court the boy, who was banned from driving last September after taking a vehicle without consent, admitted 15 offences between February 13 and May 1.

These included throwing a brick at a court witness in front of her six-year-old son, making obscene gestures at a police patrol and assaulting a police officer at Fulford Road police station in the city.

Magistrate Helen McBride told the youngster that, although he had an interest in vehicles, he must wait until he is older to explore it.

As well as the driving ban, she ordered the 12-year-old to complete a three-month "action plan" managed by the York Youth Offending Team, and said if he offended again he may go to prison.

The court heard how a string of offences began on February 12 when the boy stole a Rover car belonging to the father of a friend and drove it through the Tang Hall area.

Jane Cook, prosecuting, said a month later the youth snatched a dumper truck from a Hull Road building site and drove down Constantine Avenue.

When arrested he was found to have tools for theft in his pocket.

In the following weeks, he admitted causing £300 damage to a moped, smashing the window of a resident, attacking a witness, kicking a police officer and attempting to damage another moped.

Victoria Latham, mitigating, said the boy had low self-esteem and was bullied by older boys.