A terrified grandmother spoke today of her fright after a teenage boy threatened to shoot her as she left a Bradford Post Office.

Helga Cilbur had just walked out of the shop on New Hey Road in Bowling when a 16-year-old tried to rob her using a toy gun.

And she revealed the attack in January was the second time she had been targeted in less than a year after she was thrown to the floor by a handbag robber in the city centre.

Mrs Cilbur, 76, said: "This boy just looked at me and started swearing saying give me your bag. I thought he was joking at first. I was just numb and I tried to get away but he had what looked like a gun in his hand and he said 'I will shoot you'. I thought he would do it, just to get the money."

When she said she had no cash he revealed he had seen her coming out of the Post Office and as she walked away she heard a clicking noise from the object, which was later found to be a toy.

At Bradford Youth Court yesterday, the boy admitted attempted robbery. He was placed under a referral order for eight months and ordered to pay his victim £100 compensation.

Chairman of the bench Marilyn Priestley said they had taken the 'very unusual step' of making an order, as opposed to a custodial sentence, as he had not used any violence against his victim and later co-operated with the police and the court.

As part of the order he will have to go with his parents before a youth offending panel and sign a 'contract' to take responsibility for the consequences of his offending.

Mrs Cilbur, who fled her native Romania during the second world war, said the ordeal had left her shaken and her health had since deteriorated.

"This is such a terrible place, if I go shopping, I go to Halifax or Leeds. I try to avoid Bradford as it is very rare I feel safe here.

"I get so frightened every time I see young boys on the streets. I have lost every faith in young people. I feel uneasy when I go out and my eyes are everywhere."