A teenage burglar who targeted a disabled woman and stole her handbag from the front of her mobility scooter has been sentenced to 12 months' detention.

Catherine Lea, 59, was left traumatised after she was preyed upon by the 16-year-old boy who cannot be identified for legal reasons.

Bradford Youth Court was told today that Mrs Lea is now scared to leave her home since the attack back in January.

Prosecutor Elizabeth Wright told the magistrates that Mrs Lea was out on her scooter on her way to visit friends when the teenager, who has previous convictions, appeared over her left shoulder.

Mrs Wright described how the defendant smiled at her before reaching over and taking her bag from the basket on the front.

"She was a vulnerable lady with enough problems with her disabilities and she had been targeted as easy pickings," the prosecutor said.

Mrs Lea, who suffers from severe arthritis, screamed as the teenager ran away up Halifax Road, Bradford, but he was caught and detained by a passing motorist who had stopped to help.

In a statement the complainant said she had been left feeling "numb shocked and vulnerable" by the incident.

The defendant was released on bail but just a month later he was again targeting elderly ladies. This time he broke into the house of a 78-year-old woman on Fenwick Drive, Woodside, Bradford.

He climbed in through an upstairs window but was seen by the woman when he came down into the lounge.

The teenager had the woman's handbag and ran off.

After retiring to consider their sentence Bench Chairman Paul Smith said that only a custodial sentence was appropriate.

Making him the subject of a 12 months' detention and training order he told him: "You stole from a disabled lady who was totally traumatised by what happened. Then you went into a 78-year-old lady's house and confronted her in her house."