Two hooded raiders armed with staves who held up a security guard were only 14 and 16, a court heard.

Judge Peter Fox QC told them at Teesside Crown Court that major crime must attract "grown-up" penalties and he ruled that the juveniles could be identified.

Stanley Collin, 14, and Darren Tyers yesterday admitted attempted robbery at McLean's building site in Hartlepool.

They also pleaded guilty to the false imprisonment of nightwatchman Brian McWilliams, 67.

Armed with three-foot wooden staves, they demanded the keys to containers holding valuable tools and they threatened to tie him up, said prosecutor Ian West. They were foiled by an alert neighbour who phoned the police and both youths were caught red-handed.

Paul Cleasby, mitigating, told the court that the Hartlepool youths were acting for others who gave them balaclavas and offered them £500 each to break into the premises.

He said that both of them had shown a dramatic change for the better after being locked up on remand.

Collin, of Raby Gardens, and Tyers, of Pickering Grove, were given two-year sentences involving 12 months detention and 12 months training under supervision.