The Lancashire Evening Post succeeded in overturning restrictions which normally ban the names of defendants in youth courts being revealed.

On Wednesday, the paper carried the story of a 17-year-old found guilty at Preston Youth Court of two separate offences; a public order offence and handling a stolen mobile phone.

Normally, Section 49 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 applies automatically to defendants who appear at Youth Courts, meaning no details that might lead to them being identified can be reported.

However, if a court is satisfied that it is in the public interest to do so, it may dispense with these requirements.

Post crime reporter Stef Hall passed a note to the bench while the case was being heard, asking for the restrictions to be lifted.

She was surprised when her request was granted.

She said: “It means that we could tell our readership about the offences committed by this particular young offender.”

Full details of the case were published after Stef had consulted with the Newspaper Society’s political, editorial and regulatory affairs team.

The court heard how the teenager came into possession of a priest’s stolen mobile phone and then threatened to mount a demonstration after claiming he had found images he did not like on the phone.

He was sentenced to a four-month detention and training order for the handling offence and a 12-month conditional discharge for the public order offence.

More details on the political, editorial and regulatory affairs work of the Newspaper Society can be found at its website, www.newspapersoc.org.uk.