The Shields Gazette has persuaded a court to allow a 16-year-old troublemaker to be publicly identified.

The paper is heralding the result as “a major victory in the fight to name persistent young criminals” preying on the people of South Tyneside.

The paper had to persuade the bench on the basis of “overwhelming public interest”.

The youth in question had been given a key to a house while the owners were away and had helped himself to £1,000 of goods, catching a taxi to the house, filling bin liners and returning to his flat, where the haul was discovered later by the police. There was more than £6,000 of property missing but the youth would not reveal who else was involved.

The bench took 20 minutes to decide to allow identification of the youth, who it also said: “posed a serious danger to the public and has shown a complete disregard for the law”.

The break-in had been committed while the youth was on bail, and he now has seven burglaries to his name.

He was given a 12-month detention order.