A 15-year-old boy turned himself in to police after stealing £80 from the children's home he lived in, a court heard.

The teenager, who is already under a supervision order, admitted at Basildon Magistrates' Court two charges of burglary.

He said two of his friends broke into the home in Basildon on June 18 and he entered the building along with a fourth boy.

All four returned the next day, broke in to the office and used the safe keys to steal £80 before running away to Colchester.

The court was told the boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had called his social worker when he reached Colchester to tell her what had happened. She had then advised him to go to the police.

Defence solicitor Mark Jerman said the boy persuaded the others to go with him to the police station and accepted full responsibility for his actions.

Mr Jerman said: "He accepts that he chose to go along with what was going on.

"He knew he had done wrong. He is extremely remorseful."

The boy has since moved out of the children's home and is living in Laindon with a foster parent.

The boy told the court his behaviour had been abnormal and not the sort of thing he wanted to do in the future.

The magistrates ordered a second supervision order of 12 months to be imposed, starting immediately, to cover the two offences.

Published Thursday August 12, 2004

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