One of Britain's youngest stalkers who subjected a schoolgirl to a year-long reign of terror has had tough new restrictions imposed on him.

Yesterday a judge at Bradford Crown Court more than doubled the time he must stay away from his victim to five years.

The 17-year-old from Heaton, Bradford, was sentenced to four months in a young offenders institution after making repeated violent and sexual threats to the 16-year-old girl who had to be given police protection.

Now Judge Roger Scott at Bradford Crown Court has turned down an appeal against the sentence imposed by Keighley magistrates in January.

Judge Scott increased the restraining order from two to five years, telling the youth: "This was a bad case with bad effects".

The 16-year-old girl is still suffering from depression in the wake of her ordeal, but is now back at school.

The boy - described as "a loner without friends" - is one of the youngest people dealt with under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997.

He was arrested last August when he went to the girl's home after ignoring several warnings from school staff. He verbally abused her and assaulted her while they were both at school, and his fingerprints were found by police on notes he sent the girl.

Sentencing the boy in January, magistrate Anne Hardy had said: "This is the most appalling case I have ever heard.''

And when the boy grinned in court she said: "You are obviously enjoying it. You have ruined that girl's life - from an outgoing, jolly girl you have made her a recluse.''

The youth was sentenced at Keighley Youth Court after being convicted of harassing the girl and common assault.

He spent a month and ten days in custody before being released on bail and during his appeal hearing, Bradford Crown Court heard he was petrified of going back.

Today his elder sister said: "I think four months is very harsh for a child of that age and he didn't want to go back.

"He's a very childlike person - very slow and with a mental age of about 12 but that wasn't taken into account."

The boy's barrister argued that his sentence was too excessive. But, throwing out the appeal, Judge Roger Scott and two sitting magistrates said they believed he should have got six months.

The judge said it would not be right to increase the sentence as the teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, and his barrister - who conceded the boy suffered from behavioural and personality problems - had not been warned of that possibility before the appeal was heard. But the period covered by the restraining order was increased.

During the hearing Judge Scott noted that the girl, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was still clearly upset by the harassment and was now receiving treatment for depression, adding: "This was a bad case with bad effects.''

Following the appeal, Inspector David Drucquer, of West Yorkshire police, said: "He's the youngest person that I know of to be prosecuted under the Protection From Harassment Act.

"Five years is a lengthy period for a restraining order especially for a person of that age.

"I welcome the length of time of the restraining order as it affords the victim greater protection.''

Headteacher of the youth's former school, where his victim is still a student and studying for her A-levels, said: "This has been an exceptionally distressing time for the girl concerned.

"She has shown a good deal of courage over the past weeks and has been very well supported by both her friends in school and her family.

"She's been very distressed but in spite of that she's continued to attend school and to apply herself as well as she can to her work.

"Now the case is over I hope that she is going to be able to rebuild her life and give her full attention once more to her studies.''

The head said the teenager had been excluded from school until Year 11 left last year but that provision had been made for him to sit his exams separately from other students.

Insp Drucquer added: "This was a very serious case of harassment whereby a young girl was put in real fear for her safety. Both her and her family suffered great torment.

"We took the matter extremely seriously and afforded her police protection. We are pleased at the result of the appeal.

"The victim has been severely traumatised throughout but hopefully will recover in time. She will have our assistance whenever and however she needs it.

"I hope this deters the boy from any future action and serves as a warning that the police take all forms of harassment very seriously.

"The harassment took a range of forms all of which were very serious. Our investigation involved forensic evidence and handwriting evidence.

"In general stalking of victims can have a very destructive affect both on them and their families and that is why the law, the police and courts take these matters very seriously.''

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