A SCHOOLBOY tearaway who hurled a "mouthful of foul abuse" at his headteacher flouted a court order in the process and ended up losing his freedom.

The 14-year-old, subject of an Anti Social Behaviour Order, had been playing truant from his Pendle school but had been asked to attend as part of a plan to help him reintegrate.

He "outstayed his welcome" and when asked to leave, challenged head Michael Tull and swore at him in front of other pupils, a court was told.

The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, also took part in a late night gang attack on a frightened youth.

He was later sent to detention for four months by Burnley youth court after admitting two breaches of the ASBO and one charge of common assault.

He yesterday appealed against the term at Burnley Crown Court.

But a judge, sitting with two magistrates, dismissed the bid for freedom, saying the youth court magistrates had been "entirely right" and added the boy was now behaving.

Judge Christopher Cornwall told the 14-year-old, who had earlier also appealed against the ASBO but lost, he had breached it within days and was tagged. Twelve days later he had flouted the order a second time.

The judge said the abuse of Mr Tull and the street assault on the young man was precisely the sort of conduct that the ASBO was designed to prevent.