A TEENAGE thug dubbed "Laughing Boy" because of his arrogance has been identified in a bid to help a community protect itself.

Daniel Sayers is just 16, but he has been arrested 139 times in five years, and has 16 convictions for 67 separate offences.

He prowled the streets of Sunderland totting up a catalogue of crime, including robbery, assault, theft, burglary and criminal damage.

But now he has been unmasked after magistrates agreed to lift an automatic ban on identifying juvenile offenders.

Sagers, of Tadcaster Road, Thorney Close, Sunderland, was sentenced to an 18-month detention and training order last week after admitting jumping on another youth's head in a vicious attack.

Sagers was dubbed "Laughing Boy" because of his sneering contempt for the law.

Now the local community he has terrorised for so long will be able to defend themselves against him.

The law usually prevents newspapers from naming juveniles, but Sayers' persistent offending and failure to respond to any kind of punishment outweighed his right to remain anonymous.

Sayers appeared before Sunderland's juvenile court for sentence after admitting violent disorder at a previous hearing.

Sentencing him to an 18-month detention and training order, the chairman of the bench said they had agreed to lift the ban on identifying him to "prevent further offending" by the tearaway.

As he was led away, crop-haired Sayers shouted obscenities at magistrates and swore: "I'll be back for more."