A 15-YEAR-OLD who took part in a racially aggravated group attack on a teenager has been locked up for six months.

Blackburn magistrates heard the offence had been committed against a background of racial tension in the Audley are of the town.

But Basharat Ditta, defending, had urged the magistrates to impose a sentence that would seek to prevent his client becoming part of the gang culture in the area.

"This is a young man with no previous convictions and custody, with the greatest of respect, should be the last option," said Mr Ditta.

His views were supported by Richard Timmis of the Youth Offending Team who said their aim was to change the attitudes of young people.

"It will be much harder to achieve that if his attitudes have been hardened by a custodial sentence," said Mr Timmis. "The statistics show that the highest rate of re-offending is from people who have been in custody."

But the magistrates imposed a six-month detention and training order after hearing how the Asian youth and six or seven friends had attacked two white teenagers. The defendant had pleaded not guilty to assault and intimidating a witness but was found guilty after a trial.

The magistrates were told that the defendant had been cautioned previously for possession of an offensive weapon during an incident in which the same youth had been the aggrieved.

Mr Ditta said the incident had occurred in the Audley Range area which had its own difficulties.

"There are tensions between the Asian and the white community," said Mr Ditta. "There are various gangs in that area and there are pressures on young people to join these gangs. My client has not joined a gang as yet and if the Youth Offending Team can get hold of him now they may be able to keep him out of trouble."