A teenager who admitted taking part in the Bradford riots escaped jail because of his age and special circumstances, a Court heard.

Mohammed Arfan Zahid, 19, admitted riot because he had been throwing stones in the city centre early on the day of the mass violence of July 7, 2001.

But Judge Roger Scott said the charge of riot did not apply to incidents which took place in the city centre during the afternoon of July 7.

In the evening, Zahid was seen on video in a throwing position and bending down but there was no real evidence of him throwing stones, prosecutor John Topham told Leeds Crown Court.

"He was involved by being among the crowd for the rest of the evening," he said.

Sentencing him, Judge Scott said: "You were there for a fair length of time and not helping matters by encouraging others.

"I am dealing with you on the basis you did not throw stones during the period covered by riots."

He said reports from his former headteacher at Tong School and from Thornbury Youth and Community Centre had been excellent and he had taken into account the fact that Zahid had no previous convictions.

But because he was two weeks short of his 18th birthday at the time of the incident, was at the lesser scale of involvement and in recognition of his guilty plea, Judge Scott gave Zahid 100 hours community punishment order with 12 months rehabilitation order.

Since the incident the family has moved to Oldham.

Zahid's barrister, Tahir Kahn, said the defendant now hoped to resume a university degree in e-commerce in the autumn.

"He is genuinely sorry for having been involved in the riots and this has taught him a lesson," commented the barrister.