A 12-YEAR-OLD boy has become one of the youngest people in Bristol to be convicted of a sexual offence.

The youngster from Horfield yesterday admitted sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl by poking her body with a metal pole during an attack involving two other boys.

Bristol Magistrates' Court heard the schoolboy and a 15-year-old friend attacked the girl on a green space off Greystoke Avenue, Southmead, after 'horseplay' between a group of youngsters got out of hand.

The girl's jeans were ripped by three boys, the court was told, and she was hit with metal poles they had pulled out of a bunk bed discarded on the ground nearby.

None of the children involved can be named for legal reasons.

The 12-year-old admitted sexual assault and assault by beating on the evening of November 2 last year.

He had been due to stand trial but yesterday accepted he had poked the pole into the girl's breasts, legs and bottom during the attack.

In a statement, the youngster said he was sorry the victim had felt threatened and added that he did not intend the touching to be sexual.

The 15-year-old boy involved in the attack stood trial yesterday for sexual assault but was cleared when the case was dismissed by magistrates.

The teenager, from Southmead, was given a six-month referral order and told to pay £50 in compensation to his victim after admitting assault by beating in connection with the attack.

The third boy allegedly involved in the attack was not in court.

James King, prosecuting, said the evening had begun innocently when the group of seven children were drawing on each other's faces with a felt tip marker.

But magistrates heard things turned nasty and the victim told the court one of the boys made a sexually explicit remark during the attack.

She said she was crying and had twice pleaded for the boys to stop.

Magistrates were told the girl's jeans were badly torn at the back and that her underwear had been exposed.

She said the boys poked her with the pole underneath her clothing several times. Feeling 'upset and scared', she fled to a house in Greystoke Avenue and the police were called.

The chairman of the bench told the 15-year-old boy: "It was a nasty offence. It was a group attack and a metal pole was used. There were requests to stop and it kept going."

Magistrates agreed to sentence the 12-year-old, who has also admitted setting fire to curtains at a school, next month.

● POLICE say a gang of boys alleged to have sexually assaulted a five-year-old are too young to face court action.

It was claimed yesterday that a gang of six primary-aged boys attacked another boy who attended the same school in the Midsomer Norton and Radstock area.

No other details about the attack have been released and the identities of the youngsters involved and their school cannot be reported for legal reasons.

Police confirmed an incident had been reported but said they would not be pressing any charges because of the ages of the children involved.

The age of criminal responsibility in England is ten – under that age no court action can be taken against alleged offenders.