A 15-YEAR-old boy was placed in secure accommodation for his own safety after a family court judge heard how he had been attacked as a result of running up drug debts.

Judge Jeremy Freedman said the teenager had been in "dire need" of help, support and protection.

Details of the case emerged in a ruling by the judge following a family court hearing in Newcastle.

The teenager was not identified.

Judge Freedman said Gateshead Council had begun family court proceedings.

Officials had asked for the teenager to be placed in council care and for secure accommodation to be authorised.

The judge made a three-month secure accommodation order and said "relevant criteria" had been satisfied.

He said the teenager had been involving in taking, buying and probably selling drugs for months.

The boy became "manic and out of control" when he took too many drugs - and had been hospitalised a number of times after overdosing.

He was also in debt to "purveyors of drugs" who used "criminal tactics" to secure repayment.

A group of men had "attended" his home and he had been attacked by men in the street.

Judge Freedman said the teenager had a loving family who were willing to look after him, but he said the teenager was in danger of injuring himself and of being injured.

"(The teenager) is in dire need of help, support and protection," said Judge Freedman in his ruling.

"He is plainly a vulnerable young man at substantial risk."

Judge Freedman added: "I am satisfied ... that if (he) was kept in any accommodation other than secure accommodation he is likely to be at risk of injury from other persons, and he is likely also to injure himself: injure himself because of taking overdoses of drugs and becoming manic even if he does not get to the point of overdosing, injury from other persons because he is in debt, known to the criminal community, and recent events show that they will stop at nothing to try and recover drug debts."