A teenager described as a persistent young offender has been given one last chance to sort himself out.

At Worthing Youth Court yesterday the 14-year-old was also placed under a two-year supervision order and a three-month curfew order after he admitted common assault, intimidating a witness and a public order offence.

Magistrates were told the teenager, from Lancing, was under the influence of alcohol when he committed the offences.

Peter Lytle, prosecuting, said the youngster already had a string of convictions when, on December 14 last year, he went into Cafe Nero in South Street, Worthing, became verbally abusive to staff and tried to start a fight.

Mr Lytle said the second offence happened on January 2 this year at JJB Sports in Montague Street, Worthing, when he refused to leave the store and threatened an off-duty police officer with a bottle of beer.

The third offence took place a day later when he returned to the store and threatened to "get or hurt" staff who had been involved in the incident the day before.

Matthew Baines, defending, said: "He accepts that his drinking is a common action to all these problems."

He said the youngster regretted his actions and was sorry.

Sentencing the teenager, magistrate Dorothy Boyes told him he was being given an "unprecedented" level of help by social workers and that he had been given a chance to reform.

She said: "This is absolutely the final chance. There are a lot of people willing to help you. If you really want to amend your ways then now you have the opportunity but if you don't you know what is going to happen."

Magistrates ruled against lifting a ban on reporting the teenager's name after The Argus asked for it to be overturned.

The magistrates said it would be counter-productive to the teenager's rehabilitation.