A "VULNERABLE" teenager threatened another person with a machete in a McDonald's restaurant.

The youth, who is from the Bradford district but cannot be named for legal reasons due to his age, was handed a 12-month Youth Rehabilitation Order at Leeds Magistrates' Court last Tuesday.

He had pleaded guilty to threatening a person with a blade or sharply-pointed article in a public place at the same court on July 4.

The teenager was remanded into the care of the local authority after a hearing at Bradford and Keighley Magistrates' Court on July 15.

He was caught with a machete on June 22 this year at the McDonald's restaurant in Briggate, Leeds.

Court records said he threatened another individual with the blade in such a way that "a reasonable person who was exposed to the same threat would think that there was an immediate risk of physical harm".

The magistrates found "exceptional circumstances not to impose a minimum sentence", according to court records.

This included no further offences being committed since June 22.

Court records said it "recognises the defendant's vulnerability and potential criminal exploitation", which was evidenced by a Youth Justice Service report and a warning issued by police that there may be a death threat or high risk of murder against the teenager.

The records add: "There's been some improvement of the several months, since the death of his friend, and a community sentence would assist with rehabilitation."

The youth's YRO includes a 91-day curfew, which is being electronically monitored.

He must remain at a specified address between 7pm and 7am every day, with the curfew requirements ending at 11.59pm on October 22.

The YRO requires the teenager to engage in activities in accordance with the instructions of his responsible officer over that 91-day period too.

The youth is also banned from entering an area defined on a map provided by the Youth Justice Team for nine months.

His guilty plea was taken into account when sentencing.