PEER pressure led to a 12-year-old boy setting fire to the contents of a post box, a court heard.

The youngster, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared before magistrates in Newton Aycliffe Youth Court yesterday.

Bill Brabban, prosecuting, said the contents of the post box at the Red House shop, Silverdale Place, Newton Aycliffe, were destroyed by the fire, which occurred in October last year.

When officers from the Fire Service spoke to shop staff, they quickly identified who was responsible out of a group of boys standing nearby.

Mr Brabban said the youngster made a full admission to the police and had shown great remorse for his actions.

He said: "He said he had been hanging around with a group of other young people.

"Somebody had a match or a burning ember and they challenged him to put it inside the post box."

The youth admitted destroying a quantity of Royal Mail by fire.

His solicitor, Andrew Clinton, said police had been sympathetic towards the boy.

"He is a very timid boy and somebody who is very polite," he said.

"He is aware and extremely worried about coming to court. I'm sure this has been nipped in the bud and that you won't be seeing him again."

The boy was given a three-month referral order with the youth offending team.