TWO boys, aged 13 and 15, who carried out a vicious robbery where a man was punched and headbutted and then robbed, had their sentences reduced yesterday.

The boys laughed as they were led from the dock at Bolton Crown Court after hearing their appeals against a 12 months and an eight months sentence had been allowed.

The baby-faced 13-year-old had received a total of 12 months' Detention and Training Order for two robberies, one of which had been committed with the 15-year-old.

The 15-year-old boy had been sentenced to an eight months' Detention and Training Order for the robbery carried out with the 13-year-old. Neither of the boys can be named because of legal restrictions.

Prosecutor David Morton said the 13-year-old was with a gang of other youths in Bolton town centre when they approached an 18 year-old who was walking with his step-sister.

They repeatedly asked him for money, threatening him with violence if he didn't pay up but the teenager refused. Later his step-sister gave them £1 but they insisted they wanted more.

They finally attacked the 18-year-old in Morrisons car park, when the 13-year-old jumped on the man's back and another grabbed him a headlock and then the pair searched his pocket, stealing his wallet containing £57 in cash.

The 18-year-old chased the gang in a bid to try to get his wallet back but was headbutted by one of the gang who then escaped.

In the second robbery, the 13-year-old was with a gang of seven youths who followed a man as he crossed a footbridge over the River Croal.

They demanded cash and he refused and then the gang attacked him, punching and kicking him to the ground before robbing him of £15. The boy was later identified from photographs and then picked out at an identity parade.

The 13-year-old boy had a criminal record including thefts, burglary, attempted robbery and taking vehicles without the owner's consent. The 15-year-old's record included burglary, robbery and theft offences.

Wayne Jackson, defending the 13-year-old, told the court that his client was mildly spoken and very short but when with others was easily led.

He said the boy said he needed the cash to buy food because he had been sleeping rough on Bolton Bus Station.

Janet Ironfield, defending the 15-year-old, said the boy was highly suggestible when with others and had committed the robbery because of peer pressure. He had now forged a good relationship with his father and had enrolled on an NVQ course. He had found detention to be unpleasant having been bullied by older boys.

Recorder Andrew Lowcock, sitting with two magistrates, told the boys they had both been involved in a throughly nasty offence and that the victim must have been terrified.

He said the magistrates had been quite right to deprive them of their liberty but, because of their ages and the fact they had never been in custody before, he reduced the 13-year-old's sentence from 12 months to eight and the 15-year-old's from eight to four months.