A schoolboy who raped two girls while high on ecstasy has been ordered to be detained for six years.

The youth was 15 when he followed his victims and forced them to have sex, threatening one with a knife.

Judge Anthony Scott-Gall, sitting at Hove Crown Court, yesterday branded the boy, from Eastbourne, a "cold sexual predator" before sending him to a young offenders' institution.

The court heard that on May 3 last year he followed a 15-year-old girl from his school in Eastbourne, pulled her jumper over her head and raped her.

On October 6 last year he attacked a 17-year-old girl, a former pupil at his school, on marshland in the town.

Gary Perry, prosecuting, said the victim became aware of a man nearby carrying fishing gear while walking to her horses.

He threatened her with a Stanley knife, saying she would be hurt unless she did what he said. He raped her but appeared to be remorseful afterwards, offering the girl money.

The youth, now 16, made both victims perform a sex act on him.

Detectives traced the attacker from DNA taken from one of the girls and he was arrested in December.

The boy's victims were in court as he was sentenced. Judge Scott-Gall said he accepted he was sorry for what he had done.

After the second attack, he became upset, picked up the blade and attempted to slit his wrists in front of his victim, saying: "I can't believe what I've done."

Julian Dale, defending, said: "This of course was a tragic case, tragic firstly for the victims and the victims' families. One can only hope the sentencing exercises will facilitate the healing process.

"Also tragic is that the defendant has brought this on his family. He cannot apologise enough to the victims for what he has done."

His parents wept and their son also broke down as the judge sentenced him, saying the offences were unpremeditated, impulsive and showed a reckless disregard for the locations.

He told the defendant: "They were examples of abduction of two young people innocently going about their lives by somebody who was a genuine sexual predator.

"Both girls must have been terrified by their ordeals.

"To be pursued across marshland and have a Stanley knife produced must have caused great terror.

"The real victims in this case are the girls whose lives have been turned completely upside down.

"One can only hope that both can go on to form relationships with members of the opposite sex without remembering you."

Detective Inspector Dave Oakley said outside the court: "They are lovely girls from loving families and they have been accurate and detailed in their evidence. I just hope they can now bring some closure to this."