A Dudley teenager has been spared time in jail after he admitted possessing two knives at Merry Hill shopping centre.

The 16-year-old, who can’t be named for legal reasons, was arrested after a fight broke in the food hall last Saturday afternoon.

Wolverhampton Magistrates Court heard how, when detained by officers, the teenager claimed that a bag in his possession was not his, and he’d found it on a bus.  

The 16-year-old, who’s subject to a youth rehabilitation order, following previous convictions for robbery and possession of an offensive weapon, was given a new one, which will last for 18 months and include a four-month curfew between the hours of 7pm and 7am.